Malorie Blackman OBE
Award-winning author
Malorie Blackman OBE has a long-standing connection with City Lit, having taken a wide range of courses with us since the late 1980s. The author of over fifty books, she is celebrated as one of the most imaginative and compelling writers for young readers. Her many accolades include the Red House Children’s Book Award, the Fantastic Fiction Award, and a shortlist for the Carnegie Medal. She received the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 2005 and an OBE in 2008 for her services to children’s literature, and served as Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015. Her autobiography is due to be published by Stormzy’s Merky Books. Noughts and Crosses, the first novel in her acclaimed series, was adapted for BBC One, with the first episode airing on 5 March 2020.
Malorie Blackman 'Unheard Voices' Scholarships
In 2019, City Lit announced the Malorie Blackman OBE 'Unheard Voices' Creative Writing Scholarships. City Lit will provide three annual awards worth up to £1000 each to fund study within the City Lit Creative Writing department. The awards seek to support and encourage the creative and professional development of ‘unheard voices’, and can be used to fund courses within the City Lit Creative Writing department. The final award winners will be selected by acclaimed writer, City Lit Fellow and Patron of the School of Humanities & Sciences, Malorie Blackman OBE. Announcing the Unheard Voices Scholarships in its Centenary year, City Lit want to hear from students and in particular from students in underrepresented groups.
City Lit CEO and Principal Mark Malcomson CBE said, “We are thrilled to announce the Unheard Voices Scholarships and to have our dear friend, Fellow and Patron, Malorie’s involvement in the project. Malorie’s history with City Lit just goes to show how important in a writer’s career a creative writing course can be. We’re so excited to uncover the next generation of story-tellers, bringing their unique perspectives to the fore.”
