Malorie Blackman

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Malorie Blackman

Noughts and Crosses series
Notable awardsEleanor Farjeon Award, 2005
PEN Pinter Prize, 2022
Website
www.malorieblackman.co.uk

Malorie Blackman

Noughts and Crosses series uses the setting of a fictional alternative Britain to explore racism. Blackman has been the recipient of many honours for her work, including the 2022 PEN Pinter Prize
.

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

scripts and a stage play.[9]

She became the first

person of colour writer to work on Doctor Who in 2018[10] (something almost accomplished by Robin Mukherjee 29 years earlier, during the run of the original series with the unmade Alixion).[11]

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

ethnicities had never been central to the plots of her books.[4] She has also said: "I wanted to show black children just getting on with their lives, having adventures, and solving their dilemmas, like the characters in all the books I read as a child."[3]

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

Big Read list, a 2003 BBC survey to find "The Nation's Best-Loved Book".[13]

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

Abduljalil Al-Singace as the International Writer of Courage with whom she would share the prize.[22]

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

Let Books Be Books campaign, which seeks to stop children's books being labelled as "for girls" or "for boys".[29]

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,

Superheroes" song,[32] and in 2022 she appeared in the "Mel Made Me Do It" promo video.[33]

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

"Chasing the stars"

Short stories for young adults

Novels for children

Short stories for children

Books for new readers

Picture books

Memoir

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

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)

For Tell Me No Lies (1999)

  • 1999, Stockport Children's Book Award (shortlisted) (Key Stage 4 category).[9][15]

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

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

For the Doctor Who episode "Rosa"

References

  1. ^ Blackman, Malorie (9 October 2022). "Malorie Blackman: 'My dad left, then the bailiffs came...'". The Sunday Times.
  2. ^ Cain, Sian (11 September 2021). "Interview | Malorie Blackman: 'Hope is the spark'". The Guardian.
  3. ^ a b c Blackman, Malorie (1995–2007). "Malorie Blackman". Penguin UK Authors. Penguin Books PLC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Malorie Blackman". 40 artists, 40 days. Tate Online. 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
  6. ^ "Malorie Blackman OBE | City Lit". www.citylit.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ Blackman, Malorie (19 August 2009). "Malorie Blackman's top 10 graphic novels for teenagers". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Coats, Lucy (21 October 2018). "INTERVIEW: Malorie Blackman". Publishing Talk. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Sherwin, Adam (20 August 2018). "Malorie Blackman named as Doctor Who's first black screenwriter". i News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  11. ^ James T (19 June 2011). "Doctor Who episodes and spin-offs that never happened". Den of Geek.
  12. ^ a b "Malorie Blackman – Children and Young People's Writer". Blast. BBC. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Books". BBC. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  14. ^ "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 9.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Chilton, Martin (4 June 2013). "Malorie Blackman is new Children's Laureate". The Telegraph.
  17. ^ Pauli, Michelle (4 June 2013). "Malorie Blackman is the new children's laureate". The Guardian. Children's Books.
  18. ^ "The first-ever Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC)". BookTrust. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Malorie Blackman awarded PEN Pinter Prize 2022". English PEN. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  21. ^ Anderson, Porter (21 June 2022). "Malorie Blackman Wins England's 2022 PEN Pinter Prize". Publishing Perspctives. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  22. ^ Campbell, Joel (11 October 2022). "Malorie Blackman shares PEN Pinter Prize 2022 with Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace". The Voice. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Malorie Blackman: The Power of Stories Opens at the British Library". finebooksmagazine.com. 24 November 2023.
  24. ^ Creamer, Ella (24 November 2023). "Malorie Blackman's career honoured in British Library exhibition". The Guardian.
  25. ^ "Malorie Blackman: British Library exhibition celebrates author's career". Channel 4 News. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Williams, Tianna (5 December 2023). "Malorie Blackman is celebrated with British Library exhibition". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  27. ^ Preface to Tell Me No Lies.
  28. . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  29. ^ Masters, Tim (17 March 2014). "Campaign over gender-specific books gains support". BBC News. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  30. ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  31. ^ Buchan, Carole (29 April 2019). "Anthology of writing by women of African descent features more than 200 contributors". Sussex World. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  32. ^ Flood, Alison (16 December 2019). "'Real ones know!' Stormzy namechecks Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  33. ^ Robinson, Ellie (22 September 2022). "Stormzy returns with epic new single 'Mel Made Me Do It', cameo-packed video". NME. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  34. ^ Lawrence, Patrice (19 October 2023). "Review | Just Sayin' by Malorie Blackman review – against the odds". The Guardian.
  35. .
  36. .
  37. ^ Originally published in 1997.
  38. ^ Also published as 4u2read.ok Hostage, Barrington Stoke, 2002, .
  39. ^ Originally published separately as Whizziwig, 1995, and Whizzywhig Returns, 1999
  40. ^ "Malorie Blackman pens Seventh Doctor and Daleks story | Articles | Doctor Who". Doctorwho.tv. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  41. ^ Flood, Alison (13 February 2014). "Ruth Ozeki beats Thomas Pynchon to top Kitschie award". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  42. ^ Shaffi, Sarah (21 June 2022). "Malorie Blackman's 'dynamic imaginary worlds' win her the PEN Pinter prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  43. ^ "Costa Book Awards | Behind the beans | Costa Coffee". costa.co.uk.
  44. ^ "2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists". The Hugo Awards. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.

External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom
2013–2015
Succeeded by