Blackburn's Jacqueline Lambert wins Wishing Shelf Book Award

Jacqueline and her husband converted this army truck to drive across Mongolia <i>(Image: Jacqueline Lambert)</i>
Jacqueline and her husband converted this army truck to drive across Mongolia (Image: Jacqueline Lambert)
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A book by an author who grew up in Blackburn, which delves into the world of nomadic living, has won an international award.

Building The Beast: How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper by Jacqueline Lambert, who studied at Notre Dame and St Mary’s College, took the bronze award in the adult non-fiction category in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

The story follows a couple and their dogs after they bought a 30-year-old army truck and converted it into a camper van.

Jacqueline LambertJacqueline Lambert (Image: Jacqueline Lambert)

They bought the truck to drive overland to Mongolia and had to complete the conversion before becoming homeless.

 Jacqueline Lambert said: “It’s a huge honour to win an international book award.

"I nearly missed the email informing me of the win as my husband had chosen my birthday to ski off the side of a mountain in Italy, breaking his leg.

“It led to a whole new adventure navigating the Italian medical system and insurance company. The silver lining was an idea for another book!

"It meant the world to receive an award during a somewhat stressful period of our nomadic life.”

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards is an international competition run by children's author Billy Bob Buttons, the pen name of Edward Trayer.

He said: “I want these awards to be where the large publishers go when they want to find the next bestseller.

“It is the only independent book award judged by schools and groups of readers, and not by anonymous so-called experts.

"The winning entries are truly the stories loved by readers.”

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Additionally, the story has been awarded a Reader’s Favourite 5* seal and reached the finals in the non-fiction section of the Page Turner Book Awards.

Her Adventure Caravanning with Dogs series also sees Jacqueline share her journey with her husband and dogs around Europe.

Other books include More Manchester Than Mongolia: An Unexpected Road Trip Through Back Road Britain, which is due for release later this year.

All of her books can be purchased from Amazon and some bookshops.

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