Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman to make reading 'irresistible'
- Published
Malorie Blackman on why she started writing
Malorie Blackman, the bestselling author of the Noughts & Crosses series, has been crowned the Children's Laureate for 2013-2015.
She has replaced Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and was presented with a medal at a ceremony at King's Place in central London.
'More children reading more'
Malorie has made it clear that she wants to get "more children reading more", calling on teachers and parents to spend at least ten minutes a day reading with kids.
The role of Children's Laureate is awarded once every two years.
The post was created to celebrate exceptional children's authors and illustrators and to acknowledge their importance in creating the readers of tomorrow.
Malorie Blackman is the eighth author to receive the honour - and the first black person to take on the role.
Past Children's Laureates include Jacqueline Wilson, Quentin Blake and Michael Morpurgo.
The author said: "I am honoured to have been chosen as the eighth Children's Laureate.
"A love of books has opened so many doors for me.
"I hope to instil in every child I meet my love and enthusiasm for reading and stories.
"As I would never have become an author if it hadn't been for my local library as a child, I intend to continue Julia Donaldson's amazing work advocating for our nation's public library service."
Malorie's Children's Laureate medal
Making reading 'irresistible'
She has been a professional author for over 20 years.
She wanted to be an English teacher but worked as a computer programmer, before taking up writing.
Her work has won numerous awards.
She was referenced in Tinie Tempah's song 'Written in the Stars'.
Malorie says she wants to "make reading irresistible" for children, by encouraging kids to explore a range of literature, from short stories to graphic novels.
She will also be encouraging kids to make their own creative responses to books, including with music.