BIRTSMORTON children's author Graham Gardner has won a major literary award in Germany.

The German translation of his book Inventing Elliot won the Youth Jury Award of the German Youth Literature Prize 2005.

High school students aged 11 to 17 across Germany voted Graham's book their favourite. He was presented with the award on Thursday on the second night of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

In January Graham will visit Germany and Luxembourg high schools to talk about his writing.

His second novel will be published next year and plans for a feature film of Inventing Elliot will be announced at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

Inventing Elliot is published by Orion Children's Books. Signed copies can be ordered from Ledbury Books and Maps.