Yvvette Edwards facts for kids

Yvvette Edwards is a British writer who creates amazing stories. She was born in London, England. Her family comes from the Caribbean. She is also a FRSL, which means she's a very respected writer.

Her first book, A Cupboard Full of Coats, came out in 2011. It was very popular and won many awards. This included being considered for the famous Man Booker Prize. Five years later, in 2016, she released her second novel, The Mother. This book showed everyone how talented she is. Yvvette Edwards also wrote a short story for a collection called New Daughters of Africa in 2019. This collection was put together by Margaret Busby.

About Yvvette Edwards

Yvvette Edwards was born in Barnet, north London. Her parents came from the Caribbean. Her mother moved to Britain from Montserrat when she was a child.

Yvvette grew up in Hackney, east London. She still lives there with her family today.

Her First Book: A Cupboard Full of Coats

Yvvette Edwards' first novel, A Cupboard Full of Coats, was published in 2011. Oneworld Publications released the book. It quickly received many good reviews and awards.

Kirkus Reviews called it one of the "Best of Fiction" books in 2011. It was also considered for the 2011 Booker Prize. The book was shortlisted for the Writers' Guild Awards in 2011. It was also a finalist for the Waverton Good Read Award in 2011.

In 2012, it was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize. The book was nominated for the 44th NAACP Image Awards in 2013. It also received nominations for the International Dublin Literary Award and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in 2013.

Reviewers loved the book's clear writing style. Kirkus Reviews said it was "An impressive debut." Jonathan Barnes from The Literary Review praised the story. He said it was "Rich in emotion" and told with great skill. He also noted that Edwards' writing was "clear" and "full of quietly impressive phrase-making."

Her Second Book: The Mother

Yvvette Edwards' second book, The Mother, came out in 2016. This novel also received important nominations. It was nominated for the 48th NAACP Image Awards. It was also a nominee for the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in 2017.

BookPage highly recommended The Mother. They said it explored important topics like violence among young men. The review praised Edwards for her "compassion for her characters." They also noted her understanding of how loss affects families.

Paste magazine called it a "powerful work." They said it showed how one tragedy can affect many lives. NBC News highlighted the author's "masterful storytelling." The New York Journal of Books described it as a "clear-eyed, unsentimental novel." They said it showed the challenges parents face in modern city life. They concluded that The Mother was "another hit-the-ball-out-of-the-park novel."

Other Works and Recognition

Yvvette Edwards also wrote a short story called "Security." This story is part of the book New Daughters of Africa. Margaret Busby edited this collection, which came out in 2019.

In November 2020, Yvvette Edwards was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a big honor for writers in the UK.

Awards and Nominations

Yvvette Edwards has received many awards and nominations for her books.

A Cupboard Full of Coats

• 2011: A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
• 2011: Booker Prize for Fiction shortlist
• 2011: Waverton Good Read Award shortlist
• 2011: Writers’ Guild Awards shortlist
• 2012: Commonwealth Book Prize shortlist
• 2013: 44th NAACP Image Awards nomination
• 2013: International Dublin Literary Award nomination

The Mother

• 2016: 48th NAACP Image Awards nomination
• 2017: Hurston-Wright Legacy Award nomination