Helen Dunmore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Dunmore
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Dunmore in 2008
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| Born | 12 December 1952 Beverley, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 5 June 2017 (aged 64) Bristol, England |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, children's writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of York |
| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | Francis Charnley (m. 1980) |
| Children | Patrick Tess Ollie (stepson) |
Helen Dunmore (born 12 December 1952, died 5 June 2017) was a talented British writer. She wrote many different kinds of books, including poetry, novels, short stories, and books for children.
Some of her most famous novels are Zennor in Darkness, A Spell of Winter, and The Siege. Her last book of poems was called Inside the Wave.
Helen Dunmore won several important awards, like the first-ever Orange Prize for Fiction, the National Poetry Competition, and the Costa Book Award after she passed away. She was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL), which means she was recognized for her great writing.
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About Helen Dunmore
Helen Dunmore was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1952. She was the second of four children. Her parents were Betty and Maurice Dunmore.
She went to Sutton High School, London and Nottingham Girls' High School. These were special schools called direct grant grammar schools.
Education and Early Life
Helen studied English at the University of York. After university, she lived in Finland for two years, from 1973 to 1975. During this time, she worked as a teacher.
Later, she moved to Bristol, England, where she lived for the rest of her life. Helen Dunmore was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers.
Writing for Young Readers
Many of Helen Dunmore's books for children are used in schools. They are part of reading programs to help students learn and enjoy reading.
Her Final Works
In March 2017, Helen Dunmore published her last novel, Birdcage Walk. Around the same time, she wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper. This article was about life and death, written after she learned she had a serious illness.
Helen Dunmore passed away on 5 June 2017. Her final collection of poems, Inside the Wave, came out in April 2017. This book won the Poetry and overall Book of the Year awards at the 2017 Costa Book Awards after her death.
Family Life
Helen Dunmore married Frank Charnley in 1980. Frank is a lawyer.
Helen had a son and a daughter. She also had a stepson. At the time of her death, she had three grandchildren.
Awards and Recognitions
Helen Dunmore received many awards for her writing throughout her career. These awards show how much her work was appreciated.
- 1987: Poetry Book Society Choice for The Raw Garden
- 1994: McKitterick Prize for Zennor in Darkness
- 1996: Orange Prize (she was the first winner!) for A Spell of Winter
- 1990: Cardiff International Poetry Prize
- 1997: Shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize for Bestiary
- 2010: Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for The Betrayal
- 2010: Winner of the National Poetry Competition for "The Malarkey"
- 2015: Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for The Lie
- 2017: (After her death) Won the Costa Book Awards for Poetry and Book of the Year for Inside the Wave
