Black History Month: 18 October 2020
Malorie Blackman OBE was born in 1962 and is a British writer who held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She primarily writes literature and television drama for children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social, ethical and racial issues. Though most of Blackman's characters, like herself, are black, Blackman chose not to foreground the issue of race and ethnic identity (until the publication of 'Noughts and Crosses'), but rather to depict black characters simply living their lives, whether in ordinary or unusual circumstances, without an overt focus on their race. This was because Blackman felt that her publishers were trying to pigeon-hole her as a 'black writer' who would 'write about race and nothing else'.
Her critically and popularly acclaimed 'Noughts and Crosses' series uses the setting of a fictional dystopia to explore racism. With 'Noughts and Crosses', Blackman addresses racial issues more overtly, depicting a world in which black people, or 'crosses', are the ruling elite and white people, or 'noughts', are confined to minority status, denied legal rights and work in menial jobs. Through the acutely satirical depiction of racism, Malorie stresses the importance of putting oneself in someone else's shoes. She is acknowledged as one of today's most imaginative and convincing writers for young readers.
Want to find out more about Blackman's incredible work? Click here for more information, or here for more about her life.
No comments:
Post a Comment