Authors Protest Book Of The Year Nomination Of Jordan's Children's Book

Former Playboy model Jordan has incited complaints after her book "Perfect Ponies: My Pony Care Book" was nominated for the WH Smith Children's Book of the Year award. Several authors have expressed their disbelief over her nomination of the award as the book was mostly written by a ghostwriter.

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The author of "Chocolat" Joanne Harris says, "If this is an award for people who write books then it should be open only to people who write books, not to somebody who lends their name to a book, or who would have written a book if they had time but didn't."

Tracy Chevalier, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" author is "shocked" and "disappointed" that Jordan, whose real name is Katie Price, even made it to the list.

She tells The Times, "I'm shocked. I'm amazed the publishers even put the book up. If it's ghost-written then it's inappropriate that it should be short listed. I am disappointed by the judges."

Despite the criticisms over her nomination, Jordan still has one supporter in the person of the current Children's Laureate Michael Rosen.

He says, "We get too hung up about authorship. None of us writes a book entirely on our own. We get help from editors, or ideas might come from conversations with our families, or children."

"The issue is whether the book's good, not who has written it. If Jordan or any of her helpers have written a very good book then absolutely good luck to them."

Jordan's "Katie Price's Perfect Ponies" series of children's book were released in 2007.