Malorie Blackman books include the brilliant ‘Noughts and Crosses’, ‘Cloud Busting’, ‘Hacker’ and ‘Thief!’.
‘Hacker’ and ‘Thief!’ won the ‘Young Telegraph/Fully Booked Award’. She is the first author to have won it twice! In addition to being the only black writer to have got into the top 100 of the nation’s favourite books in the BBC’s The Big Read.
Her parents arrived from Barbados in the Caribbean, and she was born and grew up in London, from where many of her experiences are reflected in her stories. Blackman is definitely a high-achiever, she attended Goldmith’s, worked for a software house and studied Computer Science, gaining an HNC (Distinction) from Thames Polytechnic. She then got a job for Reuters, which took her all around the world. By the age of 28, with a highly successful career in computing, she turned her hand to writing.
She is now a well established and leading children’s author. Whilst some may be shocked at her subject matter, most of her readers can relate completely.
Her brilliant trilogy ‘Noughts and Crosses’ set in a world where racial roles are reversed. A dramatic tale of love and social politics, with the white people as the underclass. Sephy, a privileged black ‘Cross’ girl, falls in love with a poor white ‘Nought’ boy, Callum. It is reminiscent of a satirical Romeo and Juliet, exploring the social consequences in this reversed reality.
Her writing is sometimes shocking, yet full of compassion, depth and social understanding, offering a positive message to all those that read her work. Her book sales have been steadily increasing, and she is leading the way for more black British writers.