Malorie Blackman

Malorie Blackman, a celebrated Children's Laureate and author, shares how Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple' opened doors to her writing aspirations. She reflects on the emotional journeys of Celie and Nettie, emphasizing themes of resilience and self-identity. Blackman discusses overcoming rejection and the transformative effect of representation in literature, particularly for black women. She recounts pivotal moments that fueled her creativity and the empowering message of finding one's voice in the face of adversity.

TW: miscarriage Today's guest is one of our most beloved writers: the one and only Malorie Blackman. She joins me to talk about how her setbacks have helped her define who she is - from being evicted and made homeless as a child, to the early years of writing rejection when over 80 publishers turned her down and the devastating loss of her second pregnancy. Throughout it all, Malorie Blackman has survived and thrived. In 2013 she was appointed the Children’s Laureate and now, at the age of 60, her books (including her most famous YA novel series, Noughts & Crosses) are a staple of the GCSE curriculum. In this interview, she talks about the power of resilience. It's a must-listen.--Malorie Blackman's memoir, Just Sayin', is out tomorrow and available to buy here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/441213/just-sayin-by-blackman-malorie/9781529118674--How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com--Social Media:Elizabeth Day @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpod Malorie Blackman @malorie_blackman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices