The author of more than 70 books for children and young adults, Dame Malorie Blackman, has been inspiring and entertaining readers for more than 25 years.
The Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015, she has now been made a dame for services to literature in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Among her books are the popular Noughts And Crosses series, which are set in a society divided by racism, in which Sephy is a Cross, a member of the dark-skinned ruling class, and Callum is a Nought, a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses.
The series was adapted for television by the BBC while another book of hers, Pig-Heart Boy, was turned into a Bafta-winning, six-part TV series.
Dame Malorie, 64, was born in London in 1962 to parents from Barbados, who came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation.
Her first book Not So Stupid!, a collection of horror and science fiction stories for young adults, was published in November 1990.
In June 2013, Dame Malorie was announced as the Children’s Laureate, succeeding Julia Donaldson. During her time in the role she helped set up the first UK Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC).
In 2018, it was announced that she had joined the new series of Doctor Who as a writer, making history as the first non-white person to write on the show.
Dame Malorie became the first children’s and young adults’ writer to be awarded the PEN Pinter prize in 2022.
When she was announced as the winner, English PEN chairwoman Ruth Borthwick said Blackman had “transformed the world of writing for young adults”.
“Her work never talks down, and her readers have responded by taking her to their hearts,” Ms Borthwick added.
“Malorie has created dynamic imaginary worlds in which her protagonists are living with and challenging issues of injustice in a way that is totally engaging as she is above all a wonderful storyteller.”
She was made an OBE in 2008 for her services to children’s literature.
