The
Waverton Good Read Award was founded in 2003 by villagers in
Waverton, Cheshire,
England, and is based on
Le Prix de la Cadière d'Azur, a literary prize awarded by a
Provençal village. Adult
debut novels written by UK residents and published in the previous twelve months are eligible for consideration and are read by villagers. "The aim was not only to stimulate reading in the village but to provide encouragement to British writers". Two of the main founders were Gwen Goodhew (b 21 October 1942) an educational specialist who established Wirral Able Child Centre and has written and edited books on teaching the gifted child, and Wendy Smedley. It is the first British award to be judged by normal readers rather than literary figures.