David Almond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Almond
OBE FRSL
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Almond in 2008
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| Born | 15 May 1951 Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Period | 1998–present |
| Genre | Children's novels, speculative fiction, magic realism |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 2010 Eleanor Farjeon Award 2015 |
| Spouse | Julia Green |
| Children | 1 |
David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a famous British author. He writes many popular novels for young people and children. His books have won lots of awards and are loved by readers all over the world.
He is one of only a few writers to win the important international Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is given every two years to an author who has made a lasting contribution to children's books. His first novel, Skellig (1998), was even voted one of the top ten best books to ever win the British Carnegie Medal!
Contents
Early Life and School Days
David Almond was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1951. He grew up nearby in a place called Felling. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming a writer. He would even write stories and make them into little books!
He went to the University of East Anglia and Newcastle Polytechnic for his education. After finishing school, he worked as a teacher for five years. Later, he moved to a special place where artists lived and worked. There, he focused completely on his writing. He eventually moved back to Newcastle and continued to write.
David Almond's Writing Career
David Almond started by publishing collections of short stories. His first collection, Sleepless Nights, came out in 1985. He then wrote stories about his own childhood, which became the book Counting Stars.
His first novel, Skellig, was published in 1998. It quickly became a huge success! Since then, many of his novels have been nominated for major awards. Some of his other well-known books include Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), The Fire Eaters (2003), and Clay (2005). He even wrote a book called My Name is Mina (2010), which tells a story that happened before Skellig.
David Almond often works with talented artists and illustrators. They help bring his stories to life with amazing pictures. Some of these artists include Polly Dunbar and Dave McKean. He has also written plays, including stage versions of his own novels like Skellig.
His books are known for being very thoughtful and deep. They make you think about big ideas like life and death, what's real and what's make-believe, and how we grow up and change. He often uses a style called "magic realism". This is where magical things happen in a normal, everyday world.
In 2010, David Almond won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. The judges said he writes about young people facing challenges, but he always gives them hope. They praised his books for helping children understand difficult feelings and ideas.
Awards and Special Recognitions
David Almond has won many important awards for his writing. Here are some of them:
- The Hans Christian Andersen Award (2010)
- The Carnegie Medal for Skellig (1998)
- Two Whitbread Awards
- The U.S. Michael L. Printz Award for Kit's Wilderness
- The Smarties Prize for The Fire-Eaters
- The U.S. Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for The Fire-Eaters
- The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for A Song for Ella Grey
His book My Name is Mina was also a finalist for several big awards. In 2021, he was honored with the OBE award. This was for his great contributions to literature.
Books and Plays
Here is a list of some of David Almond's works:
- Sleepless Nights (1985)
- A Kind of Heaven (1997)
- Skellig (1998)
- Kit's Wilderness (1999)
- Counting Stars (2000)
- Heaven Eyes (2000)
- Secret Heart (2001)
- Where Your Wings Were (2002)
- The Fire Eaters (2003)
- Clay (2005)
- My Dad's a Birdman (2007)
- Jackdaw Summer (2008) (also known as Raven Summer)
- The Boy Who Climbed Into the Moon (2010)
- My Name is Mina (2010)
- The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean (2011)
- The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas (2012)
- Mouse Bird Snake Wolf (2013)
- A Song for Ella Grey (2014)
- The Tightrope Walkers (2014)
- The Tale of Angelino Brown (2017)
- The Colour of the Sun (2018)
- War Is Over (2018)
- Brand New Boy (2020)
- Annie Lumsden, the Girl from the Sea (2021)
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
- Kate, the Cat and the Moon (2004)
- The Savage (2008)
- Slog's Dad (2009)
- The Dam (2018)
- The Woman Who Turned Children Into Birds (2022)
Plays
- Wild Girl, Wild Boy (2002)
- My Dad's a Birdman
- Noah & the Fludd
- Skellig (2002) (a play based on his novel)
- Heaven Eyes (a play based on his novel)
About His Life Now
David Almond lives in Newcastle upon Tyne today. He has a daughter named Freya.
See also
- Click, a book he helped write with other authors
