Dorothy Koomson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Koomson
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2014
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| Born | 1971 (age 53–54) London, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Leeds University (Trinity and All Saints College) |
| Period | 2003–present |
| Genre | Fiction |
Dorothy Koomson is a popular British writer. She was born in London in 1971. Her family comes from Ghana. Many people call her "Britain's biggest selling black author of adult fiction." She writes exciting stories that readers love.
Contents
About Dorothy Koomson
Her Early Life and Education
Dorothy Koomson studied at Leeds University. She earned two degrees there. Her studies were in Psychology and Journalism. Before becoming a full-time novelist, she wrote for many women's magazines and newspapers. She lived in Sydney, Australia, for two years. Since 2007, she has lived in Brighton, England.
Becoming a Published Author
Dorothy Koomson started writing very young. She wrote her first novel when she was just 13 years old. This book was called "There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate." It was never published.
Her first book to be published was The Cupid Effect in 2003. Her second novel, The Chocolate Run, came out in 2004. In 2006, she published My Best Friend's Girl. This book became very popular. It was even chosen for a special reading list called Richard and Judy's Summer Reads. This helped its sales a lot.
Koomson continued to write many successful books. Marshmallows For Breakfast was published in 2007. Goodnight, Beautiful followed in 2008. Her sixth novel, The Ice Cream Girls, came out in 2010. Her seventh book, The Woman He Loved Before, was released in February 2011.
Her eighth book, The Rose Petal Beach, was published in August 2012. The paperback version came out in April 2013. Her ninth book, The Flavours of Love, was published in November 2013. After this, she took a short break from writing. Her tenth book, That Girl From Nowhere, was published in April 2015. Her novels have been translated into more than 30 languages around the world.
Standing Up for Writers
In 2020, there were protests for racial justice. These were called Black Lives Matter protests. During this time, Dorothy Koomson spoke out. She talked about how hard it can be for Black authors in the UK publishing industry. She said that Black authors sometimes feel ignored or treated unfairly. She wanted the industry to be more welcoming and fair to everyone. Her experiences were also shared in an article about making publishing more diverse.
Later in 2020, Dorothy Koomson was recognized for her influence. She was named one of the United Kingdom's 100 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage. This was in the 2021 edition of the Powerlist.
Helping Kids Read
Dorothy Koomson cares a lot about helping children read more. She knows that reading is very important. A study in 2024 showed that only 1 in 3 children in the UK enjoy reading. This was the lowest number since 2005. Koomson wants to help change this. She wants more children to discover the joy of books.
Other Projects
In 2020, Koomson started a podcast. This podcast helps people understand the world of books better. It shares insights about writing and publishing. She was also one of the judges for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2022. This is a big award for women writers.
