Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman, OBE, is a British writer who held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She primarily writes literature and television drama for children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social and ethical issues. Her critically and popularly acclaimed Noughts and Crosses series uses the setting of a fictional dystopia to explore racism...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionYoung Adult Author
Date of Birth8 February 1962
CityLondon, England
minutes ten
When I was a child, we used to look forward to the end of the day when we would hear another ten minutes of a story.
adult affects fiction force forged happens history incredibly means needs shaping teenager whatever
There is a saying: 'The child is parent to the adult', which means whatever happens to you as a child or teenager affects the adult you become. You are forged in your history. And fiction is an incredibly important force in shaping children, and that's why fiction needs to be diverse.
book eating flight gave good imagination immersed life lived reading society understanding
When I was a teenager, reading for me was as normal, as unremarkable as eating or breathing. Reading gave flight to my imagination and strengthened my understanding of the world, the society I lived in, and myself. More importantly, reading was fun, a way to live more than one life as I immersed myself in each good book I read.
I'm a voice for children's books and children's reading.
authors champion diverse forms graphic novels verse works writers
I would like to champion diverse forms like graphic novels and works told in verse and diverse writers and illustrators and diverse authors as well.
chimney next work
I work in my attic, and the view is next door's chimney stack.
behind work wrote
I wanted to have a body of work behind me before I wrote about racism.
people
I think what we need, especially in publishing, is more commissioning editors and editors who are people of colour.
design fan fiction goes music writers
I think fan fiction is the way most writers start, and the same goes for music and design.
child enthusiasm hope love
I hope to instill, in every child I meet, my love and enthusiasm for reading and stories.
children
Children find prescriptive reading lists daunting, and they are a dangerous thing to have in schools.
children others
Books teach children to see the world through the eyes of others and empathise with others. It's about the story.
allow
Books allow you to see the world through the eyes of others.
great laureate
Being the Children's Laureate has been educational, sometimes hectic, but most of all, great fun.