Andy Mulligan (author) facts for kids

Andy Mulligan is a British writer. He is famous for writing books for young adults. Andy grew up in South London. For ten years, he worked as a theatre director. After that, he became a teacher.

His teaching jobs took him to many different countries. He taught in India, Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the UK. These experiences greatly influenced the stories he writes. Today, he splits his time between London and Manila.

His Writing Career

Andy Mulligan's first book was Ribblestrop. It was published in 2009. The idea for this story came to him during a walk with a friend. They talked about turning an old, run-down house into a very unusual school.

His second book, Trash, came out in 2010. This story takes place in a huge garbage dump in a big city. It's about a street child who makes a living by collecting trash. Trash was considered for the Blue Peter Book Award. However, it was later removed from the list. This was because some parts were thought to be too strong for very young readers.

David Fickling, the publisher of Trash, explained his view. He said that children living in poverty often have very tough lives. He believed it was important to show this truth in books. He felt it would be wrong to pretend life is always easy and safe for everyone. Trash was also nominated for the 2012 CILIP Carnegie Medal. A movie based on Trash was released in 2014. It was directed by Stephen Daldry.

Return to Ribblestrop was published in 2011. It was the first follow-up book to Ribblestrop. In 2011, Andy Mulligan won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Return to Ribblestrop. This is a special award judged by British children's writers. The judges loved the book's wild and funny style. They also praised its kind heart and how well it showed children's lives.

Books He Has Written

• Ribblestrop (2009)
• Trash (2010)
• Return to Ribblestrop (2011)
• Ribblestrop Forever! (2012)
• The Boy With Two Heads (2013)
• Liquidator (2015)
• Rollercoaster (2016)
• Dog (2017)

Awards and Nominations

• 2011 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Return to Ribblestrop
• Ribblestrop was nominated for a Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2009.
• Trash was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2012.