Gene Kemp facts for kids

Gene Kemp (born December 27, 1926 – died January 4, 2015) was a famous English writer. She was best known for her exciting children's books. Her very first book, The Pride of Tamworth Pig, came out in 1972. Gene Kemp won a big award called the British Carnegie Medal. She received it for her popular school story, The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, published in 1977.

About Gene Kemp

Gene Kemp was born in Wigginton, Staffordshire in 1926. She grew up near a town called Tamworth in Staffordshire, England. Later, she went to Exeter University to study.

Becoming a Teacher and Writer

After university, Gene Kemp became a teacher. She taught at St Sidwell's School in Exeter during the 1970s. Her experiences as a teacher helped her create many of her stories.

In 1972, she started writing books for young readers. Her first stories were about a pig named Tamworth. This pig was named after the town where she grew up. Gene Kemp often found ideas for her book characters from her own children's friends. Her children were named Chantal and Richard.

Famous Books and Stories

Her most well-known book is The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler. It was published in 1977 by Faber's Children's Books. This book is set in a made-up place called Cricklepit School. It explores the fun and challenges of friendship and growing up.

There are several other books in the Cricklepit series. These include Snaggletooth's Mystery and Gowie Corby Plays Chicken. Gowie Corby Plays Chicken takes place one year after The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler. It even mentions Tyke in some parts.

Gene Kemp wrote different kinds of stories. She wrote ghost stories and fantasy tales. She also wrote realistic fiction, which means stories that could happen in real life. One example is Seriously Weird. This book tells the story from the viewpoint of a sister. Her brother has a condition called Asperger syndrome. Gene Kemp also turned some of her books into plays. Charlie Lewis Plays for Time, another Cricklepit story, was one of her most successful plays.

Later Life and Recognition

In 1984, Gene Kemp received a special award. She was given an Honorary MA from Exeter University. She lived in Exeter for many years. Gene Kemp had three children and later three grandchildren. She also had two great-grandsons. Gene Kemp passed away on January 4, 2015, at the age of 88.

Awards and Recognition

Gene Kemp won several important awards for her books.

• She won two awards for The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler in 1977. One was the annual Carnegie Medal. This award is given by the Library Association for the best children's book by a British author. The other award was from the Children's Rights Workshop.
• Her books were also shortlisted four times for the Smarties Prize. This means they were chosen as one of the best books of the year. She was shortlisted for The Clock Tower Ghost (1981), Charlie Lewis Plays for Time (1985), Juniper (1986), and Just Ferret (1990).

Books by Gene Kemp

Here are some of the books Gene Kemp wrote or helped create.