Alan Gibbons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alan Gibbons
Gibbons at The World Transformed 2018 in Liverpool
Born	Warrington, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Novelist, educational consultant
Language	English
Nationality	English
Genre	Children's literature
Years active	1988–present
Notable works	Shadow of the Minotaur, The Edge
Notable awards	Blue Peter Book Award 2000 Shadow of the Minotaur
Children	4

Alan Albert Gibbons (born 14 August 1953) is an English writer. He is famous for writing over 60 children's books. He is also known for supporting libraries.

Alan Gibbons has won many awards. One of his most popular books, Shadow of the Minotaur, won a Blue Peter Book Award.

He lives in Liverpool, England. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a primary school teacher. Today, he is also a local councillor in Liverpool.

Early Life and Career

Alan Gibbons was born in Warrington, Cheshire. His father was a farm worker. When Alan was eight, his father had an accident. This led the family to move to Crewe, Cheshire.

Before becoming a teacher, Gibbons worked as a journalist. He also had different jobs in factories. He decided to train as a teacher when he was in his mid-thirties.

Writing for Young People

While working as a teacher in Knowsley, Alan Gibbons started writing. He wrote short stories for his students. Later, he began writing books professionally.

He is best known for his children's and young adult fiction books. He has written more than 60 books. These books have been translated into many different languages.

Gibbons has won several awards for his writing.

• Blue Peter Book Award
• Angus Book Award
• Leicester Book of the Year Award

He was also nominated twice for the famous Carnegie Medal.

Alan Gibbons often speaks at big book festivals. These include the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the London Book Fair. He also visits schools across the UK and other countries. He talks about reading and education.

His books often explore important topics. These include racism, poverty, and fairness in society. Writer Michael Rosen noted that Gibbons' novels often show the lives of "working-class children and teenagers." His stories are exciting and often show characters making important choices.

Campaigning for Libraries

In 2010, Alan Gibbons started the Campaign for the Book. This group works to encourage reading and support libraries. They also ask for more money and help for library services.

He spoke out against government spending cuts. These cuts meant that many public libraries might close. He called these closures a "cultural crime."

As part of his campaign, Gibbons organized 'read-ins' across the country. These were protests against library closures. About 110 events took place, with up to 10,000 people joining in.

In 2011, he started a new idea. He called for a National Libraries Day. This day would celebrate reading and libraries. Many groups supported this idea. It quickly grew into National Libraries Week, an annual event.

Gibbons and his campaign are part of the Speak Up for Libraries Coalition. In 2016, he helped organize a big protest. It was called the National Demonstration for Libraries, Museums and Galleries. About 2,500 people attended.

Politics and Public Service

Besides being a writer and library campaigner, Alan Gibbons is a lifelong socialist. He is also a trade unionist.

He was involved in the National Union of Teachers (NUT). He also helped organize Authors Against SATs. This group wanted to change the SATs tests for students.

In 2016, Gibbons joined the Labour Party. He was elected as a Liverpool Councillor in 2021. He represents the Warbreck ward in north Liverpool.

In 2022, Gibbons and other councillors voted against a proposed budget for Liverpool City Council. He explained that he could not support cuts that would make life harder for people. Because of this vote, he was suspended and later removed from the Labour Party.

After leaving the Labour Party, Gibbons became a leader for the Liverpool Community Independents group of councillors. In 2023, he was re-elected as an independent councillor. In November 2023, he joined a new political party called Transform.

Awards and Recognition

Alan Gibbons has received many awards for his work.

• In 2000, he won a Blue Peter Book Award for Shadow of the Minotaur.
• He was a judge for the Blue Peter Book Awards in 2001.
• He was nominated twice for the Carnegie Medal (in 2001 and 2003).
• He was also nominated twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

Other awards he has won include:

• Leicester Book of the Year
• Stockport Book Award
• Angus Book Award
• Catalyst Award
• Birmingham Chills Award
• Salford Young Adult Book Award
• Hackney Short Novel Prize
• Our Best Book Award
• Salford Librarians' Special Award

In 2016, the NUT gave him the Fred and Anne Jarvis Award. This was for his efforts to protect school libraries.

Personal Life

Alan Gibbons lives in Liverpool with his wife and children. He has four children.