Here are some facts about Malorie Blackman, the famous young adult and children’s author.
- Malorie Blackman was born on 8th February 1962.
- When she was a child she wanted to be an English teacher, but she ended up becoming a computer programmer.
- Her first book, Not So Stupid, was published in 1990. It was a collection of sci-fi and horror stories for young adults.
- Not So Stupid was rejected by publishers more than 80 times.
- She has written more than 50 books and she’s also written a stage play and scripts for television shows (including Byker Grove).
- Her most well-known work is the Noughts and Crosses series, which explores complex themes such as racism, love and violence.
- Malorie Blackman was made an OBE in 2008, and in 2013 she became the Children’s Laureate, succeeding Julia Donaldson.
- She lives in Kent and has a husband, called Neil, and a daughter.
- She enjoys playing the piano and her other hobbies include videogames (World of Warcraft), going to the cinema and writing poetry.
- As a child she was inspired by the book The Silver Chair by CS Lewis – she’s read it more than 1o times.
- She really enjoyed reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
- Malorie Blackman is an avid reader. By the age of 11 she had read all of the children’s books in her local library.
- She is a great believer in learning new things. Over the last few years she has taken lessons in piano, drumming, music production, Latin and Chinese.
- She is name-checked in Written in the Stars by Tinie Tempah.