Alan Gibbons
Encyclopedia
Alan Gibbons is an author of children's books and a Blue Peter Book Award. He currently lives in Liverpool
, England
, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire. He began to write for his pupils as a teacher, but never tried to get any of his work published.
Gibbons trained to be a teacher in his mid-thirties and starting writing short stories for his students. Later, he began to write professionally. In 2000, he won the Blue Peter Book Award in the category "The Book I Couldn't Put Down" category for Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge for the 2001 Blue Peter Book Awards. He was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal
twice in 2001 and 2003 and shortlisted twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize
. He has also won the Leicester Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award, the Angus Book Award
, the Catalyst Award, the Birmingham Chills Award, the Salford Young Adult Book Award, the Hackney Short Novel Prize, the Our Best Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award.
In addition to being a full-time writer, he is an educational consultant and speaks at schools across the UK and abroad, including visits to Switzerland, Norway, France, Spain, Cyprus, Brazil, China, Africa, Brunei and the Middle East. On a trip to Malawi he participated in a scheme to deliver 9,000 books to schools through the Char Char Trust and visited the Ndi Moyo clinic. On his blog www.alangibbons.net he asked people to take out banker's orders to support these charities and their work for local people.
He has been a regular speaker at the Edinburgh and London Book Festivals, the Northern Children's Book Festival, Hay on Wye and Children's Books Ireland. His work is published in nineteen languages and he visits many schools internationally.
He has appeared on BBC TV, Channel 4, Radio 4, and Radio 5 live and has written in the Times Educational Supplement, Junior Education, Carousel, Books For Keeps and other publications.
He organised the Authors Against the SATs Campaign.
He is organiser of the Campaign for the Book and organized a successful 200 strong conference in Birmingham to launch it. In December 2010 he organised an 1100 signature Open Letter on library closures signed by many well-known figures in the arts, literature, media and publishing such as Philip Pullman
, Kate Mosse
, Kathy Lette
, Francis Wheen
, Joan Bakewell, Lee Child
, Sarah Waters
, Carol Ann Duffy
, Michael Holroyd
, Michael Rosen
, Jackie Kay
, Terry Jones
, and many more. He initiated countrywide Read Ins on February 5th, 2011 to protest against library closures. Some 110 events took place across the country, involving up to 10,000 people. The events drew national and international media coverage. He also joined with the National Union of Teachers, Just Read and the National Literacy Association to organise a Reading for Pleasure conference in February, 2011. Michael Rosen, Bernard Ashley and Malorie Blackman were keynote speakers. He is a contributor to the Arts Council/UK Literacy Association Writers in Schools initiative.
In March 2011 he launched a new initiative, calling for a National Libraries Day to celebrate reading for pleasure, public libraries, school libraries and School Library Services. This rapidly won the backing of many organisations for an annual event on the first Saturday in February. The sponsoring organisations include:
The Booksellers Association,
Unison,
National Union of Teachers,
Voices for the Library,
Society of Authors,
UK Literacy Association,
Royal Society of Literature,
The Federation of Children's Book Groups,
The Bookseller,
CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals),
CILIP School Libraries Group,
The Reading Agency,
Booktrust,
Campaign for the Book,
East Anglian Writers,
Children’s Writers and Illustrators in South London.
In May, 2011 Alan Gibbons initiated a campaign to establish a National Libraries Day.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire. He began to write for his pupils as a teacher, but never tried to get any of his work published.
Gibbons trained to be a teacher in his mid-thirties and starting writing short stories for his students. Later, he began to write professionally. In 2000, he won the Blue Peter Book Award in the category "The Book I Couldn't Put Down" category for Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge for the 2001 Blue Peter Book Awards. He was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
twice in 2001 and 2003 and shortlisted twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize
Booktrust Teenage Prize
The Booktrust Teenage Prize is an annual award given to young adult literature published in the UK. The prize is administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading.-List of Prize Winners:...
. He has also won the Leicester Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award, the Angus Book Award
Angus Book Award
The Angus Book Award is a literary award for UK authors of teenage fiction. It is awarded by Angus Council in Scotland. The award is decided by the votes of the secondary schools in Angus. The pupils host the awards every year. The ceremony is hosted by a different school each year...
, the Catalyst Award, the Birmingham Chills Award, the Salford Young Adult Book Award, the Hackney Short Novel Prize, the Our Best Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award.
In addition to being a full-time writer, he is an educational consultant and speaks at schools across the UK and abroad, including visits to Switzerland, Norway, France, Spain, Cyprus, Brazil, China, Africa, Brunei and the Middle East. On a trip to Malawi he participated in a scheme to deliver 9,000 books to schools through the Char Char Trust and visited the Ndi Moyo clinic. On his blog www.alangibbons.net he asked people to take out banker's orders to support these charities and their work for local people.
He has been a regular speaker at the Edinburgh and London Book Festivals, the Northern Children's Book Festival, Hay on Wye and Children's Books Ireland. His work is published in nineteen languages and he visits many schools internationally.
He has appeared on BBC TV, Channel 4, Radio 4, and Radio 5 live and has written in the Times Educational Supplement, Junior Education, Carousel, Books For Keeps and other publications.
He organised the Authors Against the SATs Campaign.
He is organiser of the Campaign for the Book and organized a successful 200 strong conference in Birmingham to launch it. In December 2010 he organised an 1100 signature Open Letter on library closures signed by many well-known figures in the arts, literature, media and publishing such as Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
, Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse is an English author and broadcaster. She is best known for her 2005 novel Labyrinth, which has been translated into more than 37 languages.- Private life :...
, Kathy Lette
Kathy Lette
Kathy Lette is an Australian author who has written a number of bestselling books.Born in Sydney's southern suburbs, she first attracted attention in 1979 as the coauthor of Puberty Blues, a strongly autobiographical, proto-feminist teen novel about two 13-year-old southern suburbs girls...
, Francis Wheen
Francis Wheen
Francis James Baird Wheen is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster.-Early life and education:Wheen was born into an army family and educated at two independent schools: Copthorne Preparatory School near Crawley, West Sussex and Harrow School in north west London.-Life and career:Running...
, Joan Bakewell, Lee Child
Lee Child
Jim Grant , better known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British thriller writer. His wife Jane is a New Yorker, and they currently live in New York state. His first novel, Killing Floor, won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel....
, Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society, such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith.-Childhood:Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966....
, Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, CBE, FRSL is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain's poet laureate in May 2009...
, Michael Holroyd
Michael Holroyd
Sir Michael De Courcy Fraser Holroyd, FRHS, FRSL is an English biographer.-Life:Holroyd was born in London and educated at Eton College, though he has often claimed Maidenhead Public Library as his alma mater....
, Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen
Michael Wayne Rosen is a broadcaster, children's novelist and poet and the author of 140 books. He was appointed as the fifth Children's Laureate in June 2007, succeeding Jacqueline Wilson, and held this honour until 2009....
, Jackie Kay
Jackie Kay
Jackie Kay MBE is a Scottish poet and novelist.-Biography:Jackie Kay was born in Glasgow in 1961 to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father, Jonathan C. Okafor who later became a prominent tropical plant taxonomist...
, Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
, and many more. He initiated countrywide Read Ins on February 5th, 2011 to protest against library closures. Some 110 events took place across the country, involving up to 10,000 people. The events drew national and international media coverage. He also joined with the National Union of Teachers, Just Read and the National Literacy Association to organise a Reading for Pleasure conference in February, 2011. Michael Rosen, Bernard Ashley and Malorie Blackman were keynote speakers. He is a contributor to the Arts Council/UK Literacy Association Writers in Schools initiative.
In March 2011 he launched a new initiative, calling for a National Libraries Day to celebrate reading for pleasure, public libraries, school libraries and School Library Services. This rapidly won the backing of many organisations for an annual event on the first Saturday in February. The sponsoring organisations include:
The Booksellers Association,
Unison,
National Union of Teachers,
Voices for the Library,
Society of Authors,
UK Literacy Association,
Royal Society of Literature,
The Federation of Children's Book Groups,
The Bookseller,
CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals),
CILIP School Libraries Group,
The Reading Agency,
Booktrust,
Campaign for the Book,
East Anglian Writers,
Children’s Writers and Illustrators in South London.
In May, 2011 Alan Gibbons initiated a campaign to establish a National Libraries Day.