ABOUT ADRIAN WOODLAND
Origin Story
Adrian Woodland is a novelist, English teacher, musician, inventor (really) and BMX enthusiast who loves 80s movies and scary buildings. In 2019, he graduated from Northumbria University with a Master’s in Creative Writing and spent four years plotting, developing, writing, and changing The Potentials (repeatedly). He promises that the next one will not take as long because he has ironed out most of the plot holes that would see him torn to shreds by his nerdy friends. Born in Durham, Adrian lives in Sunderland and is working on the second book in The Potentials series.
PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: awoodland71@hotmail.com | Date: 5 August 2025
Local Author Longlisted for Prestigious Times/Chicken House
Fiction Prize
Adrian Woodland, a self-published author from Sunderland, has been longlisted for the 2025 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, one of the UK’s most prestigious awards for emerging children’s and YA writers.
Woodland’s novel, The Potentials, is a bold and boundary-pushing story that blends gritty realism with speculative magic, set on a council estate in a fictional village on the outskirts of Sunderland, where miracles and superpowers just might be real. The book has already attracted a strong readership since its self-published release in November, gaining praise for its originality, raw emotion, and underrepresented voice.
"For once, I am speechless. I am humbled. I am stunned. I am thrilled. I am... Potential," Woodland said. "This story was born from lived experience and from the belief that even in the toughest places, miracles can still break through. Being longlisted is an honour beyond words."
Now in its 15th year, the Times/Chicken House Competition is renowned for launching the careers of bestselling children’s authors. Past winners and longlistees have gone on to secure major publishing deals, international rights sales, and screen adaptations.
Barry Cunningham, publisher at Chicken House and the editor who famously discovered J.K. Rowling, has described the competition as "a celebration of brilliant new talent, with the power to change the children’s book world."
Woodland is now in the running to be shortlisted this autumn, with the winner announced in November. The top prize includes a publishing contract with Chicken House and a £10,000 advance. The Potentials is currently available on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/9l5C3rt and Adrian Woodland is available for interviews, events, or school visits.
For media inquiries, interviews, or review copies, please contact: Adrian Woodland
Email: awoodland71@hotmail.com
Web: Adrianwoodland.co.uk
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Notes to Editors: - The Times/Chicken House Competition is open annually to unagented and unpublished children's writers. - Chicken House is the publisher behind bestselling authors like Maz Evans, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and Jasbinder Bilan. - The Potentials is a YA Urban Fantasy novel set in a world where magic, miracles and superpowers can be found in the most unlikely places.
PRESS RELEASE​ 2024
Adrian Woodland Unveils New YA Urban Fantasy: The Potentials
Explores Identity, Friendship and Learned Behaviour.
[Sunderland] – [28/11/2024] – Debut author Adrian Woodland is excited to announce the release of his highly anticipated new novel, The Potentials (available 22/11/2024). In this mind-bending urban fantasy, Woodland delivers a gripping narrative that pushes the boundaries of both genre and imagination. The Potentials is a powerful exploration of identity, free will, and pupil disengagement in an increasingly uncertain world, post-covid.
Set in the Northeast, The Potentials follows the story of Daniel Ambrose, a troubled teen with a grim outlook on life. Ever since his mother left home, his life has crumbled around him, but when the school decide that he is underachieving because he is under-stimulated, a move to a higher-ability class leads to flawed powers and a perilous adventure that pits Daniel and his new classmates against a hidden evil lurking in the pages of every story ever told.
Woodland, known for dark characters rooted in the reality of the working-class north, has crafted a novel that not only thrills readers with its fast-paced plot and high-stakes action, but also invites them to ponder the current climate that our young people exist in. In The Potentials, the lines between hero and villain are blurred, forcing characters—and readers alike—to consider what it means to truly be human.
"I wanted to write a novel that challenges the way we think about the modern world and our own history," said Woodland. "In The Potentials, the characters grapple with real life, and historic recollections that are open to interpretation, dependent on who tells the story. It’s a wish fulfilment story that balances the realities of growing up with the realities of supernatural powers in a modern city. It’s a reflection of the world we live in today, where young people are subjected to monumental pressures having lived through unprecedented times."
A longtime fan of 80s movies and BMX bikes, Adrian Woodland’s previous works have earned him a reputation for his unique blend of psychological depth, moral ambiguity, and speculative technology. With The Potentials, he continues to evolve as a storyteller, offering a tale that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.
“Depending on character — and there are a few — writing styles throughout the book,’ said Woodland. “Some stories are written in a simpler tone, but the themes are much darker in those sections — Irvine Welsh meets Enid Blyton in Goonies.”
The Potentials is now available in paperback and e-book from Amazon, Waterstones, and other major retailers worldwide.
For more information about the novel and Adrian Woodland, visit www.adrianwoodland.co.uk or follow him on: www.facebook.com/adrianwoodlandwriter/
Instagram: @adrianwoodland
TikTok: @woodies_creative.
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