Anne Fine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Fine
OBE FRSL
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Fine in 2024
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| Born | 7 December 1947 Leicester, Leicestershire, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Alma mater | University of Warwick |
| Period | 1978–present |
| Genre | Children's literature (all ages); black comedy |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1989, 1992 Guardian Prize 1990 |
| Spouse | Kit Fine (divorced) |
| Partner | Dick Warren |
| Children | Cordelia Fine Ione Fine |
Anne Fine is a famous English writer. She was born on December 7, 1947. She is most known for her amazing children's books. But she also writes stories for grown-ups. She is a special member of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2003, she received an award called the OBE. This award recognizes her great work.
Anne Fine has written over seventy books for children. Two of her books won the important Carnegie Medal. Three other books were also highly praised. She has won many other awards too. These include the Guardian Prize and two Whitbread Awards. She was also named Children's Author of the Year twice.
In 1998, Anne Fine was a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This is a huge international award for children's writers. From 2001 to 2003, she was the second Children's Laureate in the UK. This special role celebrates children's literature.
Contents
Anne Fine's Early Life
Anne Fine grew up in Leicester, England. She went to Northampton High School. Later, she studied politics at the University of Warwick. She was married to a philosopher named Kit Fine. They have two daughters, Cordelia Fine and Ione Fine. For over twenty years, she has been with her partner, Dick Warren. Today, she lives in Barnard Castle, England.
Anne has four sisters. Her father worked as an electrical engineer. Her oldest sister, Elizabeth Arnold, also writes children's books. Anne started writing her first book when she was 24.
Anne Fine's Writing Journey
Anne Fine shared how she started writing. In 1971, her first daughter was born. One day, a snowstorm kept her from the library. So, she decided to write a novel. She quickly realized that writing was the perfect job for her. She has been writing almost non-stop ever since.
Her first book was rejected by two publishers. It stayed under her bed for five years. Then, she entered it in a competition. She was a runner-up, and the book was finally published in 1978.
Popular Books for Older Kids
Anne Fine has written many books for older children. One famous book is Madame Doubtfire (1987). This funny story was made into a movie. The movie was called Mrs. Doubtfire and starred Robin Williams. Another book, Goggle-Eyes (1989), was made into a TV show by the BBC.
Books for Middle Readers
She also wrote books for middle-grade readers. These include Bill's New Frock (1989) and How to Write Really Badly (1996). Her books have been translated into 45 different languages. This means children all over the world can read them!
Supporting Kids' Choices
In 2014, Anne Fine supported the "Let Books Be Books" campaign. This group wants publishers to stop labeling books. They believe books should not be marked "for boys" or "for girls." Anne Fine said that children have many different interests. She believes these labels can limit what kids read.
Awards and Recognitions
Anne Fine has won many awards for her writing. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is a very important international prize. In 1998, she was one of the top five writers considered for this award.
She won the Carnegie Medal in 1989 for Goggle-Eyes. This award is for the best children's book of the year. Bill's New Frock was also highly praised for the same medal. She also won the Guardian Prize for Goggle-Eyes. And she won the Smarties Prize for Bill's New Frock.
In 1992, she won the Carnegie Medal again for Flour Babies. This book also won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. The Tulip Touch (1996) was another Whitbread winner. It was also highly praised for the Carnegie Medal.
Up on Cloud Nine (2002) was her third book to be highly praised for the Carnegie. Anne Fine is one of only seven authors to win two Carnegie Medals. She is also the only author with three highly commended books.
From 2001 to 2003, Anne Fine was the second Children's Laureate. This is a special role that promotes reading for children. In 2003, she received the OBE award. This was for her great contributions to literature.
Awards Anne Fine Has Won
- 1989 Carnegie Medal – Goggle-Eyes
- 1990 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize – Goggle-Eyes
- 1990 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, ages 6–8 – Bill's New Frock
- 1990 Children's Author of the Year Award, Publishing News
- 1991 Children's Author of the Year, British Book Awards
- 1992 Carnegie Medal – Flour Babies
- 1993 Whitbread Award, Children's Book – Flour Babies
- 1993 Children's Author of the Year Award, Publishing News
- 1994 Children's Author of the Year, British Book Awards
- 1996 Whitbread Award, Children's Book – The Tulip Touch
- 1998 Prix Sorcières, best children's book translated into French – Journal d'un chat assassin (Diary of a Killer Cat)
Other Recognitions
- 1989 Carnegie, highly commended – Bill's New Frock
- 1996 Carnegie, highly commended – Tulip Touch
- 2002 Carnegie, highly commended – Up on Cloud Nine
- 2013 Carnegie shortlist – Blood Family
Selected Books by Anne Fine
Picture Books
- Poor Monty (1991)
- Ruggles (2001)
- Big Red Balloon (2012)
- Hole in the Road (2014)
- Under the Bed (2015)
Books for Younger Children
- Scaredy-Cat (1985)
- Stranger Danger? (1989)
- Only a Show (1990)
- The Worst Child I Ever Had (1991)
- Design a Pram (1991)
- The Same Old Story Every Year (1992)
- The Haunting of Pip Parker (1992)
- Press Play (1994)
- The Diary of a Killer Cat (1994)
- Care of Henry (1996)
- Jennifer's Diary (1996)
- Countdown (1996)
- Roll Over Roly (1999)
- Notso Hotso (2001)
- The Jamie and Angus Stories (2002)
- A Shame to Miss 1: Perfect poems for young readers (2002)
- How to Cross the Road and Not Turn into a Pizza (2002)
- The Return of the Killer Cat (2003)
- Nag Club (2004)
- It Moved! (2006)
- Jamie and Angus Together (2007)
- The Killer Cat Strikes Back (2007)
- The Killer Cat's Birthday Bash (2008)
- Jamie and Angus Forever (2009)
- Under a Silver Moon (2012)
- Out for the Count (2016)
Books for Middle Children
- Anneli the Art Hater (1986)
- A Pack of Liars (1988)
- Crummy Mummy and Me (1988)
- A Sudden Puff of Glittering Smoke (1989)
- A Sudden Swirl of Icy Wind (1990)
- A Sudden Glow of Gold (1991)
- These three "Sudden" books were later put together as Genie, Genie, Genie (2004).
- The Country Pancake (1989) – also called Saving Miss Mirabelle
- Bill's New Frock (1989)
- The Chicken Gave It To Me (1992)
- The Angel of Nitshill Road (1993)
- How To Write Really Badly (1996)
- Loudmouth Louis (1998)
- Charm School (1999)
- Telling Tales (Interview/Autobiography) (1999)
- Bad Dreams (2000)
- A Shame to Miss 2: Ideal poems for middle readers (2002)
- The More the Merrier (2003)
- Frozen Billy (2004)
- Ivan the Terrible (2007)
- Eating Things on Sticks (2010)
- Trouble in Toadpool (2012)
- On Planet Fruitcake (2013)
- Aftershocks (2022)
- On the Wall (2024)
Books for Older Children
- The Summer-House Loon (1978)
- The Other Darker Ned (1979)
- The Stone Menagerie (1980)
- Round Behind the Ice-House (1981)
- The Granny Project (1983)
- Madame Doubtfire (1987)
- Goggle-Eyes (1989)
- The Book of the Banshee (1991)
- Flour Babies (1992)
- Step by Wicked Step (1995)
- The Tulip Touch (1996)
- Very Different (2001) – a collection of short stories
- Up on Cloud Nine (2002)
- A Shame to Miss 3: Irresistible poetry for young adults (2002)
- On the Summerhouse Steps (2006)
- The Road of Bones (2006)
- Fly in the Ointment (2008)
- The Devil Walks (2011)
- Blood Family (2013)
- Blue Moon Day (2014) – a collection of short stories
- Shades of Scarlet (2021)
