Jamila Gavin facts for kids

Jamila Gavin is a British writer. She is well-known for her books for children. Many of her stories include details about Indian culture. She was born on August 9, 1941.

Jamila Gavin's Life Story

Early Life and Family

Jamila Gavin was born in Mussoorie, India, on August 9, 1941. This area is now part of Uttarakhand in the Western Himalayas. Her father was Indian, and her mother was English. They met while working as teachers in Iran. Jamila often described herself as "half and half." She felt lucky to have "two rich cultures" that were part of her life. She felt she belonged to both India and England.

Moving to England and Becoming a Writer

Jamila first visited England when she was six years old. She moved there permanently when she was 11. As an adult, she worked in the music department at the BBC. Later, she decided to become a writer. Her first book, The Magic Orange Tree and Other Stories, came out in 1979. After her first child was born, she noticed something important. There were not many children's books about kids from different backgrounds. This inspired her to write stories that reflected these experiences. She also wrote books about her own childhood in India. Her Surya trilogy is a good example of this.

Supporting Young People

Jamila Gavin helps the Shakespeare Schools Festival. This is a charity that lets schoolchildren across the UK perform plays by Shakespeare. They get to perform in real, professional theatres. This gives young actors a great experience.

Where She Lives

Jamila Gavin settled in Stroud, Gloucestershire, before 1990. She was still living there in 2012. In 2016, she helped start the Stroud Book Festival. She founded it with another author, Cindy Jefferies.

Jamila Gavin's Books

The Surya Trilogy

The Surya trilogy is a series of three books. These books are The Wheel of Surya (1992), The Eye of the Horse (1994), and The Track of the Wind (1997). The stories follow two generations of an Indian Sikh family. They show how the British Empire and the Partition of India affected their lives. All three books were nominated for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. The Wheel of Surya was a special runner-up.

Coram Boy

Coram Boy won the 2000 Whitbread Prize for Children's Book of the Year. The story takes place in the 1700s. It is based on the Foundling Hospital in London. This hospital was started by a sea captain named Thomas Coram. The story also has connections to Gloucestershire. Coram Boy was made into a play by Helen Edmundson. The Royal National Theatre performed it in 2005 and 2006. The play also ran on Broadway in 2007.

Indian Legends and Short Stories

Jamila Gavin has also written collections of short stories. Three Indian Goddesses and Three Indian Princesses are based on old Indian legends. Nine other short stories were put together in a book called The Magic Orange Tree and Other Stories.

Grandpa Chatterji Series

Grandpa Chatterji is a series of books for younger children. The first book in the series was made into a television show in 1997. Other books in this series include Grandpa Chatterji's Third Eye and Grandpa's Indian Summer. The first book was nominated for the Smarties Prize for readers aged 6–8.

Other Works

Jamila Gavin has written many other books. These include The Robber Baron's Daughter, Forbidden Memories, I Want to be An Angel, Kamla and Kate, Someone's Watching, Someone's Waiting, The Hideaway, and The Wormholers.

Awards and Special Recognition

Jamila Gavin has received several awards and honors for her writing.

In 2015, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers in the UK. In 2024, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was given to her for her important contributions to children's literature.

See also

In Spanish: Jamila Gavin para niños