Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman Noughts and Crosses series | |
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Notable awards | Eleanor Farjeon Award, 2005 PEN Pinter Prize, 2022 |
Website | |
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Malorie Blackman
Early life and education
Malorie Blackman was born on 8 February 1962
She earned an HNC at Thames Polytechnic and is a graduate of the National Film and Television School.[3][5]
Malorie Blackman OBE has a long connection with City Lit as a former student attending diverse courses since the late 1980s.
In 2019, City Lit[6] announced the Malorie Blackman OBE 'Unheard Voices' Creative Writing Scholarships. City Lit provide three annual awards worth up to £1000 each to fund study within the City Lit Creative Writing department.
Career
Blackman's first book was Not So Stupid!, a collection of
She became the first
Blackman's award-winning Noughts & Crosses series (beginning in 2001), exploring love, racism, and violence, is set in a fictional alternative Britain. Explaining her choice of title, in a 2007 interview for the
Blackman eventually decided to address racism directly.[4][12] She reused some details from her own experience, including an occasion when she needed a plaster and found they were designed to be inconspicuous only on white people's skin.[4] The Times interviewer Amanda Craig speculated about the delay for the Noughts & Crosses series to be published in the United States: "though there was considerable interest, 9/11 killed off the possibility of publishing any book describing what might drive someone to become a terrorist".[4] Noughts and Crosses later became available in the US, published under the title Black & White (Simon & Schuster Publishers, 2005).
Noughts & Crosses was No. 61 on the
Recognition and awards
She was appointed
Her work has won more than 15 awards.[9][15] Blackman's television scripts include episodes of the long-running children's drama Byker Grove as well as television adaptations of her novels Whizziwig and Pig-Heart Boy.[9] Her books have been translated into more than 15 languages, including Spanish, Welsh, German, Japanese, Chinese and French.
In June 2013, Blackman was announced as the new Children's Laureate, succeeding Julia Donaldson.[16][17] Blackman helped set up the first UK Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) during her time as Children's Laureate.[18]
In 2022, Blackman was chosen as winner of the
In November 2023, the exhibition Malorie Blackman: The Power of Stories opened at the British Library (on show until 25 February 2024), celebrating and contextualizing her career.[23][24][25] As described by Wallpaper magazine, it "shines a light on Blackman's journey as an author, while touching upon social issues represented in her novels.... The landmark exhibition ... is an open invitation to learn about the importance of media representation, and Black activism throughout the 1960s to 1980s."[26]
Personal life
Malorie Blackman lives with her husband Neil and daughter Elizabeth in Kent, England. In her free time, she likes to play her piano, compose, play computer games and write poetry.[27] She is the subject of a biography for children by Verna Wilkins.[28]
In March 2014, Blackman joined other prominent authors in supporting the
In August 2014, Malorie Blackman was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.[30]
Blackman is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa (edited by Margaret Busby) with a letter written to her daughter.[31]
In 2019,
Blackman's memoir Just Sayin': My Life In Words, published in 2022, was summed up by Patrice Lawrence as "a book about survival and success".[34]
Works
Published books
Novels for young adults and children
- Not So Stupid!: Incredible Short Stories, ISBN 0-7043-4924-8
- Trust Me, Livewire, 1992, ISBN 0-552-56847-3
- Words Last Forever, Mammoth, 1998, ISBN 0-7497-2983-X
- The Noughts & Crosses series, in reading order:
- Noughts & Crosses,ISBN 0-385-60008-9
- Callum (novella), RHCP Digital 2012,
- An Eye for an Eye, (novella),ISBN 0-552-54925-8
- Knife Edge, Doubleday, 2004, ISBN 0-385-60527-7
- Checkmate, Doubleday, 2005, ISBN 0-385-60773-3
- Double Cross, Doubleday, 6 November 2008
- Nought Forever (novella), Penguin, 2019
- Crossfire, Penguin, 8 August 2019
- Endgame, Penguin, 16 September 2021
- Noughts & Crosses,
- The Stuff of Nightmares, Doubleday, 2007, ISBN 0-385-61043-2
- ISBN 0-552-54862-6
- Unheard Voices: An Anthology of Stories and Poems to Commemorate the Bicentenary Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, ed. Malorie Blackman, Corgi Children's, 2007, ISBN 0-552-55600-9
- Noble Conflict, Doubleday Children's, 2013, ISBN 0-385-61042-4
"Chasing the stars"
Short stories for young adults
- "Humming Through My Fingers" in the multi-author collection Shining On: A Collection of Stories in Aid of the Teen Cancer Trust, Picadilly Press, 2006, ISBN 1-85340-893-X
- Short story in the multi-author collection The Crew and Other Teen Fiction, Heinemann Library, ISBN 0-431-01875-8
Novels for children
- Hacker, Doubleday, 1992, ISBN 0-385-40278-3
- Operation Gadgetman!, Doubleday, 1993, ISBN 0-385-40337-2
- Jack Sweettooth the 73rd, Viking Children's Books, 1995, ISBN 0-670-85539-1
- The Space Stowaway, Ginn, 1995, ISBN 0-602-26393-X
- ISBN 0-670-85705-X
- Thief!, Doubleday, 1995, ISBN 0-552-52808-0
- A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E, Doubleday, 1996, ISBN 0-552-52839-0
- ISBN 0-385-40681-9
- Animal Avengers (illustrated by Bill Greenhead and Stik), Mammoth, 1999, ISBN 0-7497-3557-0
- Dangerous Reality, Doubleday, 1999, ISBN 0-385-40680-0
- Don't Be AfraidISBN 0-602-27549-0
- Forbidden Game, Puffin Books, 1999, ISBN 0-14-130321-2
- HostageISBN 1-902260-12-0
- Tell Me No Lies, Macmillan Children's Books, 1999, ISBN 0-333-72645-6
- Whizziwig Returns (illustrated by Stephen Lee), Puffin, 1999, ISBN 0-14-130458-8
- Dead Gorgeous, Doubleday, 2002, ISBN 0-385-60009-7
- ISBN 0-385-60796-2
- The Deadly Dare Mysteries (contents: Deadly Dare, 1995, Computer Ghost, 1997, Lie Detectives , 1998; illustrated by Neil Chapman), Corgi Children's, 2005, ISBN 0-552-55353-0
- Whizziwig and Whizziwig ReturnsISBN 0-440-86657-X
- Doctor Who: The Ripple Effect, Puffin, 2013[40]
Short stories for children
- "Contact" in the multi-author collection Out of This World: Stories of Virtual Reality (chosen by Wendy Cooling), Dolphin, 1997, ISBN 1-85881-602-5
- Aesop's Fables (retold by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Patrice Aggs), Scholastic, 1998, ISBN 0-590-54382-2
- "Dare to be Different" (illustrated by Jane Ray) in the multi-author collection Dare to be Different, ISBN 0-7475-4021-7
- "Peacemaker" in the multi-author collection Peacemaker and Other Stories (illustrated by Peter Richardson and David Hine), ISBN 0-435-11600-2
Books for new readers
- The Betsey Biggalow stories:
- Betsey Biggalow the Detective (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1992, ISBN 1-85340-163-3
- Betsey Biggalow is Here! (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1992, ISBN 1-85340-172-2
- Hurricane Betsey (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1993, ISBN 1-85340-199-4
- Magic Betsey (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1994, ISBN 1-85340-237-0
- Betsey's Birthday Surprise (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1996, ISBN 0-590-55864-1
- Betsey Biggalow the Detective (illustrated by Lis Toft), Piccadilly Press, 1992,
- The Girl Wonder series:
- Girl Wonder and the Terrific Twins (illustrated by Pat Ludlow), Orion Children's Books, 1991, ISBN 0-575-05048-9
- Girl Wonder's Winter Adventures (illustrated by Lis Toft), Orion Children's Books, 1992, ISBN 0-575-05383-6
- Girl Wonder to the Rescue (illustrated by Lis Toft), Gollancz, 1994, ISBN 0-575-05774-2
- The Amazing Adventures of Girl Wonder (illustrated by Lis Toft), Barn Owl Books, 2003, ISBN 1-903015-27-8
- Girl Wonder and the Terrific Twins (illustrated by Pat Ludlow), Orion Children's Books, 1991,
- The Puzzle Planet adventures:
- Peril on Planet Pellia (illustrated by Patrice Aggs), Orchard Books, 1996, ISBN 1-85213-935-8
- The Mellion Moon Mystery (illustrated by Patrice Aggs), Orchard Books, 1996, ISBN 1-85213-936-6
- The Secret of the Terrible Hand (illustrated by Patrice Aggs), Orchard Books, 1996, ISBN 1-86039-370-5
- Quasar Quartz Quest (illustrated by Patrice Aggs) Orchard Books, 1996, ISBN 1-85213-938-2
- Peril on Planet Pellia (illustrated by Patrice Aggs), Orchard Books, 1996,
- The Longman Book Project (with translations to Welsh):
- Rachel versus Bonecrusher the Mighty, Longman, 1994, ISBN 0-582-12151-5
- Rachel and the Difference Thief (illustrated by Kim Harley), Longman, 1994, ISBN 0-582-12152-3
- Crazy Crocs (with Alexander McCall Smith and Sally-Ann Lever), Longman, 1994, ISBN 0-582-12208-2
- Rachel versus Bonecrusher the Mighty, Longman, 1994,
- Elaine You're a Brat!ISBN 1-85213-365-1
- My Friend's a Gris-Quok (illustrated by Philip Hopman), Scholastic, 1994, ISBN 0-590-55864-1
- Grandma Gertie's Haunted Handbag (illustrated by David Price), Heinemann, 1996, ISBN 0-434-97225-8
- Space Race (illustrated by Colin Mier), Corgi Children's, 1997, ISBN 0-552-54542-2
- Fangs (illustrated by Tony Blundell), Orchard Books, 1998, ISBN 1-86039-734-4
- Snow Dog (illustrated by Sabrina Good), Corgi Children's, 2001, ISBN 0-552-54703-4
- The Monster Crisp-Guzzler (illustrated by Sami Sweeten), Corgi Children's, 2002, ISBN 0-552-54783-2
- Sinclair, Wonder Bear (illustrated by Deborah Allwright), Egmont Books, 2003, ISBN 1-4052-0589-X
Picture books
- That New DressISBN 0-7500-0442-8
- Mrs Spoon's Family (illustrated by Jan McCafferty), Andersen Press, 1995, ISBN 0-86264-582-4
- Dizzy's Walk (illustrated by Pamela Venus), ISBN 1-870516-41-9
- Marty Monster (illustrated by Kim Harley), Tamarind Books, 1999, ISBN 1-870516-42-7
- I Want a Cuddle! (illustrated by Joanne Partis), Orchard Books, 2001, ISBN 1-84121-823-5
- Jessica Strange (with Alison Bartlett), Hodder Children's Books, 2002, ISBN 0-340-77963-2
- Contributed to A Christmas Tree of Stories, Scholastic Press, 1999, ISBN 0-439-01192-2
Memoir
- Just Sayin': My Life In Words, Cornerstone (Merky Books), 2023, ISBN 978-1529118698
Television scripts
Year | Title | Notes | Broadcaster |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Operation Gadgetman! | TV movie, directed by Jim Goddard and starring Marina Sirtis. | Hallmark Entertainment |
1998 | Whizziwig | Episodes | CITV |
1999 | Pig Heart Boy
|
6 Episodes | CBBC |
2004 | Byker Grove | Episodes: #16.20 & #16.19 | CBBC |
2007 | Jackanory Junior | Ellie and the Cat | CBeebies |
2018 | Doctor Who | Episode: Rosa, co-written with Chris Chibnall | BBC One |
Stage plays
- The Amazing Rob The Mechanic
- Noughts and Crosses
Radio scripts
- Noughts and Crosses
Awards and nominations
Body of work
- 1997, Excelle/Write Thing Children's Author of the Year Award.[9]
- 2005, Children's Book Circle's Eleanor Farjeon Award.[15]
- 2013, The Kitschies Black Tentacle for "outstanding achievement in encouraging and elevating the conversation around genre literature"[43]
- 2022, PEN Pinter Prize.[44]
Novels
For Hacker (1995)
- 1994, W.H. Smith Mind Boggling Book of the Year Award.[9]
- 1994, Young Telegraph/Gimme 5 Children's Book of the Year Award.[9]
- 1995, Birmingham/TSB Children's Book Award (shortlist).[15]
For A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E (1997)
- 1997, Stockport Children's Book of the Year Award (Key Stage 3 category).[9]
- 1997, Stockton-on-Tees Children's Book Award (shortlisted).[15]
- 1998, Sheffield Children's Book Award (highly commended).[15]
- 2001, Stockport Schools Book Award (shortlisted).[15]
For Pig-Heart Boy (1997)
- 1998, Carnegie Medal (shortlist).[9]
- 1998, UKRA Award.[9]
- 1999, Lancashire Children's Book of the Year (shortlist).[15]
- 1999, Wirral Paperback of the Year Award.[9][15]
For Tell Me No Lies (1999)
For Dead Gorgeous (2002)
- 2003, Calderdale Book of the Year (shortlist).[15]
- 2003, Salford Children's Book Award (shortlist).[15]
For books in the Noughts & Crosses series
- 2002,
- 2002,
- 2002, Sheffield Children's Book Award.[9][15]
- 2003, Wirral Paperback of the Year Award.[9][15]
- 2004, Fantastic Fiction Award.[9]
- 2005, Berkshire Book Award (shortlist).[15]
- 2005, Lancashire Children's Book of the Year (shortlist).[15]
- 2005, Redbridge Teenage Book Award (shortlist).[15]
- 2006, Lancashire Children's Book of the Year (shortlist).[15]
- 2006, Staffordshire Young People's Book of the Year.[15]
For Cloud Busting (2004)
- 2004, Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Silver Award) (6–8 years category).[9]
- 2005, Redbridge Children's Book Award (shortlist).[15]
- 2005, Stockport Schools Book Award (shortlisted).[15]
- 2006, Nottingham Children's Book Award (shortlist) (10–11 years category).[15]
- 2006, West Sussex Children's Book Award (shortlist).[15]
For Crossfire (2019)
- 2019, Costa Children's Book Award (Shortlist).[45]
Television adaptations
For Pig-Heart Boy
- 2000, BAFTA Best Drama.[9][15]
- 2000, Race and Media Best Drama Award.[9]
- 2000, Royal Television Society Award (Children's Drama category).[9]
- 2001, Chicago TV Festival (shortlist).[9]
- 2001, Prix Danube Children's Jury Prize.[9]
For the Doctor Who episode "Rosa"
- 2019, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form), nominated[46]
References
- ^ Blackman, Malorie (9 October 2022). "Malorie Blackman: 'My dad left, then the bailiffs came...'". The Sunday Times.
- ^ Cain, Sian (11 September 2021). "Interview | Malorie Blackman: 'Hope is the spark'". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e Craig, Amanda (January 2004). "Malorie Blackman: the world in photographic negative". The Times. Times Newspapers Limited. Archived from the original on 2 December 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
- ^ "Malorie Blackman". 40 artists, 40 days. Tate Online. 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
- ^ "Malorie Blackman OBE | City Lit". www.citylit.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Blackman, Malorie (19 August 2009). "Malorie Blackman's top 10 graphic novels for teenagers". The Guardian.
- ^ Coats, Lucy (21 October 2018). "INTERVIEW: Malorie Blackman". Publishing Talk. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Malorie Blackman". Contemporary Writers. British Council. 2007. Archived from the original on 11 April 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
- ^ Sherwin, Adam (20 August 2018). "Malorie Blackman named as Doctor Who's first black screenwriter". i News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ James T (19 June 2011). "Doctor Who episodes and spin-offs that never happened". Den of Geek.
- ^ a b "Malorie Blackman – Children and Young People's Writer". Blast. BBC. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
- ^ "Top 100 Books". BBC. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Awards and Prizes". Kids at Random House. Random House Children's Books. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
- ^ Chilton, Martin (4 June 2013). "Malorie Blackman is new Children's Laureate". The Telegraph.
- ^ Pauli, Michelle (4 June 2013). "Malorie Blackman is the new children's laureate". The Guardian. Children's Books.
- ^ "The first-ever Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC)". BookTrust. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Brown, Lauren (21 June 2022). "Blackman awarded PEN Pinter Prize in first for a children's and YA writer". The Bookseller. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "Malorie Blackman awarded PEN Pinter Prize 2022". English PEN. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Porter (21 June 2022). "Malorie Blackman Wins England's 2022 PEN Pinter Prize". Publishing Perspctives. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Campbell, Joel (11 October 2022). "Malorie Blackman shares PEN Pinter Prize 2022 with Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace". The Voice. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Malorie Blackman: The Power of Stories Opens at the British Library". finebooksmagazine.com. 24 November 2023.
- ^ Creamer, Ella (24 November 2023). "Malorie Blackman's career honoured in British Library exhibition". The Guardian.
- ^ "Malorie Blackman: British Library exhibition celebrates author's career". Channel 4 News. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Williams, Tianna (5 December 2023). "Malorie Blackman is celebrated with British Library exhibition". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Preface to Tell Me No Lies.
- ISBN 9781848530010. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Masters, Tim (17 March 2014). "Campaign over gender-specific books gains support". BBC News. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ Buchan, Carole (29 April 2019). "Anthology of writing by women of African descent features more than 200 contributors". Sussex World. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ Flood, Alison (16 December 2019). "'Real ones know!' Stormzy namechecks Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ Robinson, Ellie (22 September 2022). "Stormzy returns with epic new single 'Mel Made Me Do It', cameo-packed video". NME. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ Lawrence, Patrice (19 October 2023). "Review | Just Sayin' by Malorie Blackman review – against the odds". The Guardian.
- ISBN 1-4169-0017-9.
- ISBN 0-552-55570-3.
- ^ Originally published in 1997.
- ^ Also published as 4u2read.ok Hostage, Barrington Stoke, 2002,
ISBN 1-84299-236-8.
- ^ Originally published separately as Whizziwig, 1995, and Whizzywhig Returns, 1999
- ^ "Malorie Blackman pens Seventh Doctor and Daleks story | Articles | Doctor Who". Doctorwho.tv. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ISBN 1-84362-391-9
- ISBN 0-8368-0713-8
- ^ Flood, Alison (13 February 2014). "Ruth Ozeki beats Thomas Pynchon to top Kitschie award". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ Shaffi, Sarah (21 June 2022). "Malorie Blackman's 'dynamic imaginary worlds' win her the PEN Pinter prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Costa Book Awards | Behind the beans | Costa Coffee". costa.co.uk.
- ^ "2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists". The Hugo Awards. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
External links
- Official website
- Malorie Blackman at British Council: Literature
- Malorie Blackman at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Malorie Blackman at IMDb