Beverley McWilliams on her 2024 HNSA prize-winning novel for children, 'Spies in the Sky'

Royal Blue is a royal racing pigeon from a long line of champions. Every morning he wakes in his comfortable loft at Sandringham House, eats the very best seeds and spends the day training with his best friend to be the fastest and strongest pigeon in Britain. But there’s a war going on, and things are changing. Then one day the King himself comes to the loft and chooses Blue for a very special assignment. As Blue goes on missions, helping with rescues, carrying secret messages and facing dangers he never could have imagined, one thing will become clear: never underestimate a pigeon. In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Beverley McWilliams about how she came to know so much about pigeons, why telling s story from a pigeon's point of view was so much fun, and how her love of history helps her create great stories for children.