Jamila Gavin facts for kids

Jamila Gavin (born 9 August 1941) is a British writer. She is best known for her exciting children's books, especially those that share stories from India. She has received special honours like being a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).

About Her Life

Jamila Gavin was born on 9 August 1941 in Mussoorie, a town in India. Her father was Indian and her mother was English. They met while working as teachers in Iran. Jamila often describes herself as "half and half" because of her mixed background. She feels lucky to have inherited "two rich cultures" that have always been a part of her life. She says she feels like she belongs to both countries.

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 there weren't 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, especially her popular Surya trilogy.

Jamila Gavin supports the Shakespeare Schools Festival. This is a charity that helps schoolchildren across the UK perform plays by Shakespeare in real theatres. She also helped start the Stroud Book Festival in 2016.

Her Books

Jamila Gavin has written many different kinds of books for young readers.

The Surya Trilogy

The Surya trilogy is a series of three books: The Wheel of Surya (1992), The Eye of the Horse (1994), and The Track of the Wind (1997). These books tell a family saga, following two generations of an Indian Sikh family. They show how the British Empire and the Partition of India (when India was divided into separate countries) affected their lives. All three books were nominated for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

Coram Boy

Coram Boy is one of Jamila Gavin's most famous books. It won the 2000 Whitbread Prize for Children's Book of the Year. The story is set in the 1700s and is based on the Foundling Hospital in London. This hospital was a home for abandoned children, started by Captain Thomas Coram. Coram Boy was later turned into a play by Helen Edmundson. The play was performed by the Royal National Theatre in London and even on Broadway in New York City.

Other Stories

Jamila Gavin has also written collections of short stories based on Indian legends. These include Three Indian Goddesses and Three Indian Princesses. Nine other short stories were gathered in The Magic Orange Tree and Other Stories.

For younger children, she created the Grandpa Chatterji series. The first book in this series was even made into a television show in 1997. Other books in the series are Grandpa Chatterji's Third Eye and Grandpa's Indian Summer.

Some of her other books 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 Honours

Jamila Gavin has received several important awards and honours for her writing:

• In 2015, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honour for writers.
• In 2024, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the King. This award was given for her great contributions to children's literature.
• Her book Coram Boy won the Whitbread Children's Book Award in 2000.
• Her Surya trilogy books were all shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.
• Grandpa Chatterji was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize for readers aged 6–8.

See also

In Spanish: Jamila Gavin para niños