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 on May 15, 1951, is a famous British writer. He writes many popular books for children and young adults. His books have won lots of awards and are loved by many readers.
He is one of only 30 children's writers in the world to win the special Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is given out every two years to a living author for their lasting contribution to children's literature.
In 2007, his very first novel, Skellig (published in 1998), was chosen as one of the top ten books to ever win the British Carnegie Medal. It was voted the third favorite book from that special list.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Almond was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1951. He grew up in a nearby town called Felling. His dad worked in a factory office, and his mom was a typist. He was raised in a Catholic family with four sisters and one brother.
When he was a child, David dreamed of becoming a writer. He even "wrote stories and stitched them into little books." He remembers his childhood as having "much joy" but also "much sadness." He lost his younger sister and father when he was still young.
David went to the University of East Anglia and Newcastle Polytechnic for his education. After finishing college, he worked as a teacher for five years. Then, he moved to a special community for artists in Norfolk to focus on his writing. Later, he returned to Newcastle and worked part-time as a teacher for students with special needs. He also helped edit a literary magazine called Panurge.
Writing Career
David Almond published his first collection of short stories, Sleepless Nights, in 1985. His second collection, A Kind of Heaven, came out in 1987. He then wrote stories about his own childhood, which were later published as Counting Stars in 2000.
After his first novel, Skellig, was published in 1998, David Almond became very successful around the world. Many of his books have been nominated for important awards. Some of his other well-known novels include Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003), and Clay (2005).
He also wrote My Name is Mina (2010), which tells a story that happened before Skellig. David Almond often works with talented artists and illustrators for his books. These include Polly Dunbar, Stephen Lambert, and Dave McKean. He has also written plays, such as Wild Girl, Wild Boy and stage versions of Skellig and Heaven Eyes.
His books often make you think deeply about life. They explore big ideas like the connection between life and death, what is real and what is make-believe, and how we grow up and change. His writing style often uses magic realism, which means he blends magical elements into a realistic world.
In 2010, David Almond won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award for his entire body of work. The judges said that he "writes about children in crisis, while continuously giving hope to them." They especially praised Skellig and Kit's Wilderness.
Awards and Recognitions
David Almond has received many important awards for his writing. Some of his major awards include:
- 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 the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Carnegie Medal, and the German Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. In 2022, he was awarded the International Nonino Prize.
In 2011, David Almond became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers. In 2021, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his great contributions to literature.
Published Works
David Almond has written many books and plays. Here are some of his works:
Novels and Collections
- 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 in the US)
- 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)
Personal Life
David Almond currently lives in Newcastle upon Tyne. He has one daughter named Freya.
See Also
- Click, a book that David Almond helped write with other authors.
