Jason Wallace facts for kids

Jason Wallace (born in 1969) is a writer who lives in South West London, England. He wrote the book Out of Shadows, which won the Costa Children's Book of the Year award in 2010.

Early Life and School

Jason Wallace was born in Cheltenham, a town in Gloucestershire, England. He has some interesting family connections! He is a descendant of Lord George Sanger, who was a very famous circus owner in Victorian times. Jason Wallace is also distantly related to the well-known author J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

When he was younger, Jason lived in London, England. In 1983, his family moved to Zimbabwe in Africa after his mother remarried. There, he attended Peterhouse Boys' School, which was a boarding school. A boarding school is where students live at the school during term time. When he was seventeen, Jason knew he wanted to become a writer, even though he knew it would be a difficult path.

As a child, Jason loved comic books like The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix. He also enjoyed books by authors such as Dr.Seuss and Richard Scarry. Some of his favorite books when he was young were James and the Giant Peach and Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. Later, as a teenager and adult, he became a fan of authors like Stephen King and James Herbert.

His time at the boarding school in Zimbabwe was very important. It was shortly after a big conflict called the Rhodesian Bush War (also known as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation) had ended. His experiences there gave him many ideas for his first book, Out of Shadows.

Becoming a Writer

Becoming a published author was not easy for Jason Wallace. He has said that getting his books published "didn't happen overnight." He explained that writing became like a "second job" that he didn't get paid for, while he still had to live his daily life. Jason believes he has always had a very active imagination. He also credits his school for helping him want to write, even through its strict rules.

About Out of Shadows

Jason Wallace's first novel, Out of Shadows, was released on January 28, 2010, by Andersen Press. This book has become very popular around the world. Its rights have been sold to countries like the USA, Norway, Turkey, Brazil, and France. This success helped Jason become a well-known published author.

It took Jason about a year and a half to finish Out of Shadows. He wanted to write about what he saw and experienced while he was at boarding school in Zimbabwe. This was right after the Rhodesian Bush War had ended, and the country's political situation was difficult. This inspired him to create fictional stories based on what he was going through. The characters in the book are not real people, but they show the attitudes and personalities that some people had at that time. Jason said he started writing Out of Shadows by asking himself, "What if...?" and built the story from there.

In Out of Shadows, Jason Wallace explores several important topics. These include bullying, racism, politics, and what is right or wrong (called morality). The book is written for both adults and young readers aged 13 and older.

About Encounters

Jason Wallace's second book, Encounters, was published on May 4, 2017, also by Andersen Press. This novel is also set in Zimbabwe and was inspired by real events that happened in the 1990s.

Awards and Recognition

Jason Wallace has won several important awards for his writing:

• He was shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize in 2010.
• He was the WINNER of the Costa Book Awards for Children's Book in 2010. The judges said it was "a unanimous winner... A stunning debut novel without a false note. Accomplished and powerful, it changes the way you think."
• He was the WINNER of the Branford Boase Award in 2011.
• He was shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2011.
• He was the WINNER of the UKLA Children's Book Award in 2011.