British · b. 1962
Malorie Blackman writes young adult fiction that confronts race and power directly. "Noughts & Crosses" (2001) imagines an alternate Britain where dark-skinned Crosses rule over light-skinned Noughts; a love story between a Cross girl and a Nought boy tests both sides. The series spans five books and has been adapted for stage and television. Blackman served as the UK's Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. Her work proves that fiction for young readers can tackle segregation, terrorism, and systemic injustice without flinching.