Authors and readers have taken to the internet to mourn the death – and celebrate the life – of the award-winning novelist Mal Peet who died on Monday night.
Peet, winner of the Carnegie medal and the Guardian children’s fiction prize, discovered he was terminally ill at Christmas.
His agent Peter Cox described him as “a writer’s writer”. He said: “Mal was universally adored and admired by other writers. His talent was as prodigious as his warm, wide-open heart. I have lost a dear friend, and we have all lost an author of exceptional genius. His best and most exciting years were still ahead: his premature death is utterly tragic.”
Peet won the Guardian children’s fiction prize in 2009 for his novel Exposure. He was a late starter, telling the Guardian at the time that, having spent 20 years “pissing about really, drinking, working on building sites, travelling”, it was only aged 40, when he married his wife Elspeth, that he had begun his literary career.
“We decided we could write a book together. She decided she knew what people wanted to publish, and we’d write it together and I’d draw it. We were immediately a dismal failure,” he said. They “starved for four years”, and ended up working for educational publishers. “I wouldn’t say we prospered, but we paid the mortgage and ate.” Eventually, “bored with doing eight-page books”, Peet decided to see if he could write a novel.
That novel was Keeper, which took football to the South American rainforest, and won the Branford Boase award for the 56-year-old debutant. It was the first of a trilogy featuring world-weary football reporter Paul Faustino that culminated in Exposure. He went on to publish his first novel for adults, The Murdstone Trilogy, last Autumn. It was hailed in the Guardian for its “Pratchettian vigour and invention”.
Meg Rosoff, a friend and fellow writer for young adults (YA), said: “Nobody wrote like Mal. His humour was leavened with blackness, his gimlet eye with kindness, his substantial talent with modesty.”
Among others to pay tribute as the news broke was John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, who wrote:
Mal Peet, one of the greatest YA writers and a man I greatly admired (even when we disagreed!) has died. http://t.co/GR2dudYZtN
— John Green (@johngreen) March 3, 2015
“He used to say the uglier things are the longer they live, and the ugliest things live forever.” -Mal Peet
— John Green (@johngreen) March 3, 2015
Patrick Ness , Michael Rosen and Francesca Simon were among the other writers to to pay tribute.
I am sad beyond measure to hear of the death of my friend, the GREAT Carnegie Medal winner and YA writer Mal Peet. A gent & a genius. :-(
— Patrick Ness (@Patrick_Ness) March 3, 2015
@justine_jordan @Patrick_Ness Joining in this sadness. Goodbye to a good, thoughtful, funny person. Mal Peet.
— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) March 3, 2015
Such sad news about Mal Peet. A wonderful writer and a lovely man.
— Francesca Simon (@simon_francesca) March 3, 2015
A tribute page has been set up on his website inviting friends and readers to share their memories of Peet and his work.
It reads: “Mal’s books have touched millions of hearts. We invite you to share your thoughts and feelings with other readers here. This online condolence book will remain open for some weeks, and then will be printed for presentation to his family.”
YA author Marcus Sedgwick was one of those to leave a tribute, writing: “There are very few writers whose latest book I would be sure to seek out; Mal was one of those few. A great writer, a lovely man and I am sad never to be able to share a joke and a chat about writing again.”
Many others had already taken to Twitter:
So sad to hear of the death of wonderful author Mal Peet: http://t.co/elA1dHzjJG
— Katherine Woodfine (@followtheyellow) March 3, 2015
Incredibly sad to hear that Carnegie Medal winner and all time great man and writer Mal Peet has died. Gutted.
— Mandy Hager (@MandyHager) March 3, 2015
Very, very sad to hear about Mal Peet. Keeper is one of the best children's books I've ever read.
— Catherine Hawley (@juxtabook) March 3, 2015
Very upset to hear the news about Mal Peet's passing. He was such fun to work with. Such sad news.
— Hannah Love (@AitchLove) March 3, 2015
Just heard the sad news about Mr. Mal Peet. He was so encouraging to me as a new writer on the block, and shall never forget his kindness.
— Jeff Norton (@thejeffnorton) March 3, 2015
Oh, for christ sake, now Mal Peet has died? Now, I have a very sad face.
— Dan. L (@utterbiblio) March 3, 2015
So sad about Mal Peet. Thinking of his family and all friends lucky enough to work with him. http://t.co/ubaWRtaP2N
— Lauren Ace (@LaceyPR) March 3, 2015
Mal Peet died last night. Selfish to mourn the unwritten books; still, I do. Thoughts and prayers with his family.
— Antonia Honeywell (@antonia_writes) March 3, 2015
Yes me too. Sad that is. Mr Mal Peet has left the world with some lovely books. Thank you.
— Hayley Long (@hayleywrites) March 3, 2015
I think my heart just cracked. What an enormous loss. http://t.co/N5B6u8sJzW
— Lou Morgan (@LouMorgan) March 3, 2015
Here are some of the recent pieces he wrote for the Guardian
-
Classic books fly off the shelves and on to the streets: a heartfelt piece about the joy of reading a book on a bench, as London welcomed literary benches last summer.
- Teen fiction and the shadow of cancer: From John Green’s The Fault in our Stars to Jenny Downham’s Before I Die, Peet analysed why childhood cancer is fast becoming a taboo-busting subject for teen fiction
- Top 10 books to read aloud: his selection of titles to send the kids off to sleep with
