18 Facts About Malorie Blackman

Oneta Malorie Blackman was born on 8 February 1962 and is a British writer who held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015.

Malorie Blackman primarily writes literature and television drama for children and young adults.

Malorie Blackman has used science fiction to explore social and ethical issues, for example, her Noughts and Crosses series uses the setting of a fictional alternative Britain to explore racism.

Malorie Blackman was born on 8 February 1962 in Merton, London, and grew up in Lewisham, one of 5 siblings.

Malorie Blackman's parents were both from Barbados and had come to Britain as part of the "Windrush generation"; her father Joe was a bus driver and her mother Ruby worked in a pyjama factory.

Malorie Blackman's father walked out on the family while she was younger, leaving her mother to single-handedly raise her and her siblings.

At school, Malorie Blackman wanted to be an English teacher, but she grew up to become a systems programmer instead.

Malorie Blackman earned an HNC at Thames Polytechnic and is a graduate of the National Film and Television School.

Malorie Blackman became the first person of colour writer to work on Doctor Who in 2018.

Malorie Blackman 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.

Malorie Blackman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2008 Birthday Honours.

Malorie Blackman's books have been translated into more than 15 languages, including Spanish, Welsh, German, Japanese, Chinese and French.

In June 2013, Malorie Blackman was announced as the new Children's Laureate, succeeding Julia Donaldson.

Malorie Blackman helped set up the first UK Young Adult Literature Convention during her time as Children's Laureate.

In 2022, Malorie Blackman was chosen as winner of the PEN Pinter Prize, becoming the first author of children's and Young Adult books to receive the accolade.

Malorie Blackman is the subject of a biography for children by Verna Wilkins.

In March 2014, Malorie 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".

Malorie Blackman is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa with a letter written to her daughter.