Burgess won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British author.
[1] For the 10th anniversary in 2007 it was named one of the top ten Medal-winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.
[2] Burgess was born in the Municipal Borough of Twickenham, Middlesex, England (now administered as part of Greater London).
The Baby and Fly Pie (1993) was another highly commended runner-up for the Carnegie Medal, a distinction that was roughly annual.
In 2001 Burgess wrote the novelisation of the film Billy Elliot, based on Lee Hall's screenplay.