Live webchat with Malorie Blackman, Monday 19th October between 1 and 2pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Award winning author Malorie Blackman will be joining us for an online chat on Monday 19th October at 1pm. Join us then or post advance questions to Malorie here.

Can we please have a webchat questionnaire. Getting to know your guest. To be posted before the webchat?

Favourite biscuit?
Banksy or Vermeer?
Favourite book?
Favourite film?
What do you value most justice or mercy?
Urban or rural for living?
Cosy and warm carpets or draughty floorboards?
Ikea or junk shop?
Black or green wellies?
Mumsnet or Netmums?

Oooh I like that questionnaire Swedes!

Dear Malorie,

Myself and my 22 month old daughter love your book 'Jessica Strange'. Did you feel different from other people? Was that the inspiration for the book?

Thank you!

I read "Pig-Heart Boy" a while ago - might I enquire what your personal feelings on xenotransplantation are? Just curious

(Oh, and I love your books )

I think webchats need to be done differently as they don't work, imo, the way they are now.

Malorie

Your Noughts and Crosses books were groundbreaking and as a black woman, it was refreshing to read something with which I could really identify.

Have you noticed a difference in the feedback to these books from black and white readers in terms of their reflection on the use of race as a political weapon to subjugate and dehumanise the economically as well as politically weak ?

Hello Malorie,

What is your favourite biscuit, and do you dunk?

Hey Malorie. Fantastic books. All of my children have read and are reading them.

So when can we see a stage version of the Noughts and Crosses trilogy? I think it might look rather good on stage... or on screen!

Swedes - love the questionnaire

Hi Malorie!
I work in secondary school, run two reading clubs and run various initiatives to promote reading for pleasure.

Noughts and Crosses is often cited by prolific readers as "my favourite book ever"! It's surprising at the beginning and shocking at the end: wonderful!

Do you agree that our current National Curriculum often saps all the joy out of reading and writing? If so, what can we do about it?

Think that the questionnaire is a wonderful idea!!!!

No idea who she is , but do look at introducing it!

Do you think children's writers today are braver at dealing with controversial or unusual topics? It seems to me that writers of contemporary adult fiction are, on the whole, more bland. Or is it a marketing/publishing issue?

Maybe we're just lucky in having lots of fab children's writers around at the moment

Hi Malorie
I'm going to have to 'fess up to not having read any of your books but I did read recently that you've got 10,000 books at last count. Where do you put them all?! I probably have 500 and I feel like they're coming out of my ears!!

Also there's a thread on the site at the moment about lending books - where are you on this?

Hi Swede,

Favourite biscuit?

Oatmeal and raisin! And I like my biscuits crispy so i don't dunk.

Banksy or Vermeer?

Banksy. I love artists who have something to say with their art as well as showing off their artistic prowess.

Favourite book?

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Favourite film?

It's A Wonderful Life with James Stewart always brings a tear to my eye.

What do you value most justice or mercy?

Hhmm... Justice. Interesting question.

Urban or rural for living?

Urban, but only just.

Cosy and warm carpets or draughty
floorboards?

No contest - warm carpets

Ikea or junk shop?

Ikea

Black or green wellies?

Green

Hi Champagne,

Well actually, we have closer to 15,000 books now. And I have to confess that a number of them are decorating the floors in various bedrooms and the attic as well as wall to wall bookcases. But I wouldn't have it any other way - and neither would my hubby or daughter. We love our books.

As far as lending books is concerned, I agree with Polonius from Hamlet - neither a borrower nor a lender be (unless it's from a library!) For example, a friend of my hubby's tears out the pages of his books as he reads them so that when he opens his book he'll always be at the right page. Needless to say, he won't be reading any of our books any time soon!

Hi Batterfly,

To be honest, I write the kind of stories I like to read. I like stories with a strong plot and characters I care about and I've been lucky that my books seem to appeal to boys just as much as girls. They say boys prefer books where character is revealed via action and girls prefer books where action is revealed via character but as long as both work then I think you'll attract both boy and girl readers.

Hi Michkit,

Thanks for your kind words about my book. I've always felt different to other people and I'm glad of it. I've always encouraged my daughter to 'dare to be different' and not follow the crowd and think for herself. So I guess the book is a story about accepting and loving yourself for who and what you are.

Hi Malorie - Welcome to mumsnet and thanks very much for joining us. Good to see you've addressed the biscuit question so early - always good to get that one cleared up ! Do post your live questions now to Malorie who will be with us til 2pm.

Hi Erika,

Whilst I don't agree that we have the right to treat animals any way we want to, I must admit that I would have no problems having a pig's heart transplanted into my body if I needed a new heart and no human heart was available. I'm not a vegetarian so it would be a bit hypocritical of me to say I don't think we should use animal organs in that way.

Hello Malorie,

SPOILER ALERT: DON'T READ IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO READ NOUGHTS AND CROSSES SOON!

Did you agonise over killing off Callum at the end of Noughts and Crosses or was it a decision you made very early on?

What made you decide to write your first children's book and what was that book (was it ever published)?

When you're writing do you have a particular age group in mind? I ask because I have a 10 going on 17 year old girl who reads voraciously but I don't always have time to check what she's reading to see if it's age appropriate? Would you say there's an optimum age for children to start reading your work, or does it vary from book to book?

Hello Malorie,

I haven't read any of your books as yet because my eldest daughter is just 12 but she took Noughts and Crosses out of the library last week on my recommendation so I'm hoping to get into the story soon.

I just wanted to say that I watched your recent TV programme where you talked about the poetry that has inspired you in your life and I found it fascinating to learn about you and your influences for writing. I found the poem 'Jackie Kay' beautiful and so moving that I cried whilst watching. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Dear Effie,

I totally agree with you about children's writers being brave and taking on controversial topics in this country - and isn't it wonderful! To be honest, I read far more books for children and young adults than books for adults. As I love strong, challenging stories, I think the best place to find those on a regular basis is in books for children/young adults.

I don't know of any children's writer who writes on controversial topics merely to be exploitative or gratuitous and I have read books for adults which have turned my stomach quite frankly. But there's usually an element of hope in children's books which appeals to me.