Holly Smale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Holly Smale
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| Born | Holly Miranda Smale 7 December 1981 England, UK |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | English literature |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol |
| Genre | Young-adult novels |
| Notable works | Geek Girl series |
| Notable awards | Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2014 Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 |
Holly Miranda Smale (born 7 December 1981) is a British writer. She is best known for her popular Geek Girl book series. The first book in this series won the 2014 Waterstones Children's Book Prize. It was also a finalist for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2013. The last book in the series, Forever Geek, came out in March 2017.
Holly Smale also wrote a book for adults called The Cassandra Complex (or Cassandra in Reverse in the US). This book was chosen by Reese's Book Club and BBC Radio 2 Book Club in 2023.
About Holly Smale
Holly Miranda Smale was born in Hertfordshire, England, on December 7, 1981. From a young age, she loved to read and write stories. She has shared that her experiences with bullying when she was younger helped her choose what to write about.
When she was 15, a modeling agency in London found her. She worked as a fashion model for two years. However, she has said in interviews that she did not enjoy being a model.
Holly went to Dame Alice Owen's School. Later, she studied at the University of Bristol. She earned degrees in English Literature and Shakespeare studies. She has had many different jobs, including teaching English in Japan. She has also traveled to many places around the world.
Holly learned she was autistic when she was 39 years old. She also has other conditions, like developmental coordination disorder (sometimes called dyspraxia). These personal experiences have helped her understand her characters better. She also believes in feminism, which means she supports equal rights for women.
The Geek Girl Book Series
The Geek Girl series was first planned to be only three books. But it became so popular that it ended up having six main books! These funny books follow the life of Harriet Manners. She is a smart but awkward 15-year-old girl. Harriet decides to try modeling to change her image and "reinvent herself."
After the series was finished, Holly Smale learned about her own autism and dyspraxia. She then said that Harriet, the main character, likely has these conditions too. This makes Harriet's experiences even more real for readers.
The first book, Geek Girl, was very well-liked. It was the number one new teen fiction book in the UK in 2013. It won the Waterstones' Children's Book Prize in 2014. It also won the Leeds Book Award for ages 11–14. The book was also a finalist for several other awards.
Here are the books in the main Geek Girl series:
- 2013 Geek Girl
- 2013 Model Misfit
- 2014 Picture Perfect
- 2015 All That Glitters
- 2016 Head Over Heels
- 2017 Forever Geek
Holly Smale also wrote some extra Geek Girl stories. For World Book Day (UK and Ireland) in 2015, she wrote Geek Drama. This story takes place between Model Misfit and Picture Perfect. She also wrote a Christmas special called All Wrapped Up in 2015. A summer special, Sunny Side Up, came out in 2016.
The Geek Girl books were even made into a TV show for Netflix.
The Valentines Series
In February 2019, Holly Smale started a new series called The Valentines. The first book was Happy Girl Lucky. This series is about three sisters and their brother.
Here are the books in The Valentines series:
- 2019 Happy Girl Lucky
- 2020 Far From Perfect
- 2021 Love Me Not
The Cassandra Complex
The Cassandra Complex is a book for adults. It features an autistic woman as the main character. It was published in May 2023 in the UK. This book was chosen by the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. In the US, the book is called Cassandra In Reverse. It was picked by Reese's Book Club in June 2023.
