Malorie Blackman

Malorie Blackman is a highly acclaimed British novelist, born on February 8, 1962, in London. She is the child of parents who had migrated from Barbados. Blackman had a strong desire to become an English teacher during her school days. However, she ended up pursuing a different career path and became a systems programmer instead. She earned her Higher National Certificate (HNC) from the Thames Polytechnic. Later, she graduated from the National Film and Television School.

Malorie Blackman is an award-winning children's author, who has been honored with an OBE in 2008 for her exceptional services to children's literature. She has gained recognition for her work's adaptations for TV and stage. Blackman has established herself as one of the most creative and persuasive writers for young readers today. Her Noughts & Crosses series has won several awards, including the FCBG Red House Children's Book Award. The first book in the series, Noughts and Crosses, has been adapted into a 6-part TV series, a theatre play, and a radio drama for BBC Radio 4. Blackman has won many other awards for her books, such as the Young Telegraph/Gimme 5 Award and the WH Smith Book Award.

Blackman has written various young adult (YA) books, including Boys Don't Cry, Noble Conflict, Jon For Short, and Chasing The Stars. She describes the latter as her version of Shakespeare's Othello set in space. Her work has been featured on screen, with Pig-Heart Boy, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, being adapted into a BAFTA-winning TV serial. Blackman co-wrote the Doctor Who episode - Rosa.

Apart from her YA books, Blackman has written several titles for younger readers, including Cloud Busting, which won the Smarties Silver Award, The Monster Crisp Guzzler, Robot Girl, Snow Dog, A Dangerous Game, and My Friend's A Gris-Kwok. In 2005, she was honored with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children's books. In 2008, she was honored with an OBE for her services to Children's Literature. Malorie Blackman was the UK Children's Laureate 2013-2015.