Nicky Singer
Nicky Singer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 July 1956 Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Died | 17 June 2023 (aged 66) Brighton, East Sussex, England |
| Occupation |
|
| Alma mater | Bristol University |
| Period | 1993-2020 |
| Subject |
|
| Notable awards | Blue Peter Book Award 2002 |
| Spouse |
James King-Smith (m. 1983) |
| Children |
|
| Website | |
| nickysinger | |
Nicky Singer (22 July 1956 - 17 June 2023) was an English novelist, playwright and librettist known best for her young adult books that often tackled controversial or sensitive subjects.
Early life and education
[edit]Singer grew up in the village of Chalfont St Peter, England.[1] She showed an interest in writing from a young age, winning a chocolate bar for a story she wrote aged 6.[2]
She attended Queen Anne's School and went on to study English at the University of Bristol, graduating in 1978.[3]
Her father died suddenly when she was 14, which she cites as a "trigger event" in her life, teaching her not to take life for granted.[2] At 16 her godfather encouraged her to write a cantata adaptation of Jonah and the fish which went on to be her first published work.[4] Her mother died when Singer was 17, leaving her in loco parentis for her younger sisters.[4]
Death
[edit]Nicky died on 17 June 2023 in Brighton following a stroke; she was 66.[1]
Published writings
[edit]- To Still the Child (1992)[5]
- To Have and to Hold (1993)[6]
- What She Wanted (1997)[7]
- My Mother's Daughter (1998)[8]
- Little Book of the Millennium (1999)[9]
- Feather Boy (2002)[10]
- The Innocent’s Story (2003)[11]
- Doll (2003)[12]
- Gem X (2008)[13]
- Knight Crew (2009)[14], transformed into an opera of the same name in 2010.
- Under Shifting Glass (2011)[15]
- The Flask (2012)[16]
- Island (2015)[17], originally commissioned as a play for The National Theatre
- The Survival Game (2018)[18]
- The Wind in the Willows (2020), illustrated by Anna Shuttlewood.[19]
Awards and honours
[edit]- The Innocent's Story - Nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2006
- The Flask - Nominated for the Carnegie Medal & UKLA shortlist for age 7-11 and Student Shadowing Vote Winner[20]
- Feather Boy - Blue Peter Book of the Year Award (2002) in the categories of "Book I Couldn't Put Down" and "Book of the Year"[21], British Academy Children's Awards best children's drama (2004)[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Riddell, Chris (2 Aug 2023). "Nicky Singer obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 Aug 2023. Retrieved 21 Jan 2023.
- ^ a b "An Interview With Nicky Singer". The Letterpress Project. Archived from the original on 21 Jan 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ Brown, Lauren (27 June 2023). "Award-winning author Nicky Singer dies aged 66". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 21 Jan 2024. Retrieved 21 Jan 2024.
- ^ a b "Interview: Nicky Singer". www.thejc.com. Archived from the original on 21 Jan 2024. Retrieved 21 Jan 2024.
- ^ Singer, Nicky. To Still the Child. Virago. ISBN 9780094710900.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (1995). To have and to hold. Virago. ISBN 9781853818493.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (1997). What She Wanted. Phoenix Books. ISBN 9780753800454.
- ^ My Mother's Daughter. Phoenix Books. 5 Oct 1998. ISBN 9780752804781.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (1999). The little book of the millennium. Headline Publishing. ISBN 9780747264590.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2002). Feather Boy. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0007332007.
- ^ Singer, Nicky. The Innocent's Story. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0007179367.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2003). Doll. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0007179367.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2006). GemX. OUP. ISBN 978-0192742018.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2009). Knight Crew. CB editions. ISBN 978-0956107329.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2011). Under shifting glass. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452109213.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2012). The Flask. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780007438761.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2015). Island. Caboodle Books. ISBN 978-0992938963.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2018). The Survival Game. Hodder Children’s Books. ISBN 978-1444944532.
- ^ Singer, Nicky (2015). The Wind in the Willows. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780008147266.
- ^ "Estate of Nicky Singer - C&W Agency". cwagency.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ "BBC - Press Office - Blue Peter Book Awards 2002". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ "Children's in 2004 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.