Asli Jensen and her editor, Shalini Vallepur, won the 2026 Branford Boase Award for Love on Sight. The award honors the author and editors of a debut novel for young people. The author gets £1,000 (about $1,340) for the win, and she and the editor receive engraved trophies.
Julia Eccleshare, chair of judges and co-founder of the award, said: "Once again, the shortlist for the Branford Boase Award was extremely strong and we look forward to reading what all seven authors write next. Not for the first time a contemporary story of Britain's multi-cultural young community has won the award, and we are delighted to highlight and celebrate these vital new stories."
Jensen commented: "Love on Sight has been living in me for a long time. I've always wanted to write a love story that draws on real teen experiences and dives deep into issues that linger in my heart. If I'm being honest, I wasn't always confident that it would land with people, and I'm so grateful that it did. This book is rooted in culture and complexity, and it's there to shine a light on communities that don't always get to see themselves at the center of a love story. I am truly blessed to have both myself and my editor Shalini recognized for the hard work and love we poured into this book."
Vallepur added: "The story is important and authentic, offering a view into complicated teen lives and the hopes and dreams of youth today. From the Times/Chicken House competition in 2023 all the way to now, Asli and I have been on an incredible journey to bring her voice to the world and I'm so proud for all our hard work to be recognized by the judges."