Louisa Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louisa Young
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Louisa Young in 2018
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| Born | London, England |
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| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Period | 1995–present |
| Partner | Michel Faber |
| Children | Isabel Adomakoh Young |
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Louisa Young is a British writer who creates many different kinds of stories and books. She writes novels, short stories, and even songs. Her work has been shared in 32 different languages around the world.
By 2023, Louisa Young had written seven novels under her own name. She also wrote five books with her daughter, Isabel Adomakoh Young, using the pen name Zizou Corder. Her book Devotion was published in June 2016. She has also written three non-fiction books, which are based on real facts and events. Her most recent novel, Twelve Months and a Day, was released in June 2022 in the UK and in January 2023 in the US. She is also working on new books for The Cazalet Chronicles series. Louisa Young is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, which is a special honor for writers.
Contents
Awards and Recognition
Louisa Young's books have been recognized with many important awards. She has been nominated and shortlisted for prizes like the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Costa Book of the Year. Her work won the Galaxy Audiobook of the Year Prize.
Her books have also been nominated for the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Carnegie Medal. These awards celebrate great books for young people. Her novels have also been chosen by the Richard and Judy Book Club, which helps many people discover new books.
Early Life and Education
Louisa Young was born in London, England. Her parents were Wayland Young, who was a politician and writer, and Elizabeth Young, Lady Kennet. She has five brothers and sisters, including the famous sculptor Emily Young.
Louisa Young went to several schools in London, including Hallfield Primary School and St Paul's Girls' School. She later studied history at Trinity College, Cambridge, a well-known university.
Louisa Young's Career
Louisa Young started her career working as an editor for newspapers. She then became a freelance writer, meaning she wrote articles for many different national publications. These included The Guardian, the Sunday Times, and Marie Claire. She also had other interesting jobs, like being a despatch rider, a musician who played in public, and a waitress.
Early Books and Non-Fiction
Her first book, A Great Task of Happiness, was published in 1995. It was a biography about her grandmother, Kathleen Scott. Kathleen Scott was the wife of Robert Falcon Scott, a famous British explorer of Antarctica.
After that, Louisa Young wrote three novels that were set in London and Egypt: Baby Love, Desiring Cairo, and Tree of Pearls. Baby Love was even considered for the Orange Prize for Fiction. In 2002, she wrote The Book of the Heart, which explored how the heart is seen in art, religion, and science. This book later inspired an exhibition called The Heart at the Wellcome Foundation.
Books for Young Readers
Louisa Young worked with her daughter, Isabel Adomakoh Young, to write five books for children. They used the name Zizou Corder for these books. The books include the Lionboy trilogy: Lionboy, Lionboy: The Chase, and Lionboy: The Truth. These stories were translated into 36 languages. They were also some of the first children's books in the UK to feature a mixed-race hero.
Their book Halo, which is set in ancient Greece, was nominated for the Booktrust Teenage Prize in 2010 and the Carnegie Medal in 2011. The movie rights for Lionboy have been sold several times, including twice to Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks. A stage play of Lionboy was also created and toured the UK, New York, and other places.
First World War Novels
In 2011, Louisa Young published My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You. This novel is set during the First World War. It was shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year Award and won the Galaxy Audiobook of the Year Award in 2012. The book was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club and was featured on BBC Radio Four's Book at Bedtime.
A sequel to this book, The Heroes' Welcome, was published in 2014. The third book in this series, Devotion, came out in June 2016.
Other Works and Music
Louisa Young has also contributed to various collections of stories by different authors. Her memoir, You Left Early: A True Story of Love and ..., was published in 2018. This book shares her personal experiences and relationship with the composer Robert Lockhart.
Her novel Twelve Months and a Day was released in 2022 and was named People Magazine's Book of the Week in January 2023. Louisa Young also has a music project called "Birds of Britain" with Alex Mackenzie. Their first album, also called You Left Early, features songs written by Young.
Louisa Young's Books
Fiction Books
Egypt Trilogy
- Baby Love (1997)
- Desiring Cairo (1999)
- Tree of Pearls (2000)
The First World War Trilogy
- My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You (2011)
- The Heroes' Welcome (2014)
- Devotion (2016)
Standalone Novels
- Twelve Months and a Day (2022)
Books by Zizou Corder
Zizou Corder is the pen name used by Louisa Young and her daughter, Isabel Adomakoh Young, when they write together.
- Lionboy (2003)
- Lionboy: The Chase (2003)
- Lionboy: The Truth (2005)
- Lee Raven, Boy Thief (2007)
- Halo (2009)
- "The Intrepid Dumpling's Dugong Story", in The Just When Stories (2010)
Non-Fiction Books
- A Great Task of Happiness: The Life of Kathleen Scott (1995)
- The Book of the Heart (2002)
- You Left Early: A True Story of Love and ... (2018)
Radio Works
- Ruby Baby radio drama, BBC Radio 7, 2010
- She Wiped the Surface and Put the kettle On, BBC Radio 4, 2012
Images for kids
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Louisa Young in 2018
