Chris d'Lacey: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 14:47, 12 May 2008
Chris d'Lacey | |
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| Subject | gidy gidy goo |
| Spouse | Jay d'Lacey |
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Chris d'Lacey (December 15, 1954 - ) is an English writer of children's fiction.
Biography
He was born in Malta, but as a child moved first to Leicester and then to Bolton. After gaining a degree in biology from the University of York, he returned to Leicester and got a job at the University of Leicester in their Pre-Clinical Sciences department.[1]
Originally his writing was confined to songs and he didn't turn to fiction until he was 32.[2] His first piece of work was a 250,000 word story about polar bears for his wife, Jay, to accompany a stuffed polar bear he had bought her as a Christmas present.[1][3]
He didn't write another story for seven years, until he heard about a competition to write a story for young children with a prize of £2,000. The resulting book, A Hole at the Pole, also about polar bears, didn't win - but he sent it off to a publisher, who accepted it.[3]
His first children's novel, Fly, Cherokee, Fly, was published in 1998 and subsequently shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.[4] It was inspired by the time he found an injured pigeon in Victoria Park and nursed it back to health at home.[5] (The pigeon became a family pet and lived for 14 years in a birdbox attached to the back of the house. All of its offspring were given the names of different Native American tribes, which is where the title of the book comes from.)[6]
He has since written over twenty children's books, including Pawnee Warrior (a sequel to Fly, Cherokee, Fly), a collaborative novel with fellow children's author Linda Newbery (From E To You), and the best-selling,[7] award-winning[8] Fire Within series. His books often contain environmental themes, and events based on things that have happened to him.[2]
In July 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester for his contributions to children's literature.[9] Although writing is now his main source of income,[2] he still works at the university as the operator of the confocal microscope.[1]
His favourite children's books are the Paddington Bear series and The Hobbit, and his favourite children's authors are Allan Ahlberg and Roald Dahl.[2][10]
Bibliography
- A Hole at the Pole (1994)
- Juggling with Jeremy (1996)
- A Break in the Chain (1998)
- Fly, Cherokee, Fly (1998)
- The Table Football League (1998)
- Henry Spaloosh! (1998)
- The Snail Patrol (1998)
- Bubble and Float (1999)
- Lofty (1999)
- Riverside United (1999)
- Dexter's Journey (2000)
- From E To You (with Linda Newbery) (2000)
- Scupper Hargreaves, Football Genie (2000)
- Fire Within series:
- The Fire Within (2001)
- Icefire (2003)
- Fire Star (2005)
- The Fire Eternal (2007)
- Pawnee Warrior (2002)
- The Salt Pirates of Skegness (2002)
- The Prompter (2003)
- Falling 4 Mandy (2003)
- Franklin's Bear (2003)
- Horace (2004)
- Shrinking Ralph Perfect (2005)
- Dragons of Wayward Crescent series:
- Gruffen (2008)
- Gauge(Chris d'Lacey) (2008)
Awards and nominations
- 1998 Fly, Cherokee, Fly shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal[4]
- 2002 The Fire Within won the Rotherham Children's Book Award[8]
- 2002 Honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester[9]
- 2005 Horace shortlisted for the Bolton Children's Book Award[11]
- 2005 Horace shortlisted for the Hampshire Book Award[12]
- 2006 Icefire shortlisted for the Angus Book Award[13]
References
- ^ a b c Oration for Chris d'Lacey at University of Leicester
- ^ a b c d Chris d'Lacey interview at Leicester Review of Books
- ^ a b Chris d'Lacey biography at Scholastic
- ^ a b The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards
- ^ University of Leicester press release about Fly, Cherokee, Fly
- ^ Fly, Cherokee, Fly at Chris d'Lacey's official site
- ^ Chris d'Lacey author profile from the Northern Children's Book Festival
- ^ a b Rotherham Children's Book Award at Booktrust
- ^ a b Chris d'Lacey's Honorary Graduate speech at University of Leicester
- ^ Chris d'Lacey interview at Literacy Trust
- ^ Bolton Children's Book Award shortlist 2005
- ^ Hampshire Book Award
- ^ Angus Book Award