Mary Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Mary Hoffman is a best-selling British author and critic, born in 1945.
, which she describes as “an exercise in punctuation in itself.” From there she went to the University of Cambridge to study English at Newnham College and then spent two years studying Linguistics at University College London
. Since 1998 she has been an Honorary Fellow of the Library Association
in 1998 for her work with children and schools. She worked at the Open University for nearly five years, contributing to courses for teachers on reading, language and children’s literature. For eighteen years she was Reading Consultant to BBC
Schools TV’s Look and Read series and wrote the teaching scripts. She has been a freelance, self-employed professional writer and journalist since the mid-90s. She has been nominated for the post of Children's Laureate, 2011–2013.
Mary lives with her husband Stephen Barber, whom she married in 1972, and three Burmese cats. They have three grown-up daughters, including the writer Rhiannon Lassiter
. She moved from London to West Oxfordshire
in 2001.
and a new thread of historical novels.
. She has also written children's non-fiction.
She has written re-tellings of myths and legends, fairy stories, nursery stories King Arthur and the Bible, including Women of Camelot, which tells the King Arthur stories from the points of view of the female characters. She has also edited collections of stories, including Lines in the Sand (2003) – a response to the allied invasion of Iraq, with all funds raised donated to UNICEF in Iraq. She has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2011.
Background
Mary Hoffman won a scholarship to James Allen’s Girls’ School in DulwichDulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, which she describes as “an exercise in punctuation in itself.” From there she went to the University of Cambridge to study English at Newnham College and then spent two years studying Linguistics at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Since 1998 she has been an Honorary Fellow of the Library Association
Library association
Library association may refer to:* Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, previously the Library Association...
in 1998 for her work with children and schools. She worked at the Open University for nearly five years, contributing to courses for teachers on reading, language and children’s literature. For eighteen years she was Reading Consultant to BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Schools TV’s Look and Read series and wrote the teaching scripts. She has been a freelance, self-employed professional writer and journalist since the mid-90s. She has been nominated for the post of Children's Laureate, 2011–2013.
Mary lives with her husband Stephen Barber, whom she married in 1972, and three Burmese cats. They have three grown-up daughters, including the writer Rhiannon Lassiter
Rhiannon Lassiter
Rhiannon Lassiter is a children's books author.-Biography:Rhiannon Lassiter was born on the 9th of February in 1977 in London to children's books author, Mary Hoffman and Stephen Barber....
. She moved from London to West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire is a local government district in north west Oxfordshire, England including towns such as Woodstock, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, and Witney ....
in 2001.
Writing
Mary Hoffman's first book was White Magic, published by Rex Collings in 1975. In total, she has written over 90 books, and now concentrates on longer books for teens, including the Stravaganza seriesStravaganza (series)
Stravaganza is a series of novels written by children's author Mary Hoffman. The books are set alternatively between Islington, an area of London, England, and various cities in Talia, an alternate version of Renaissance Italy....
and a new thread of historical novels.
Teen fiction
- The Stravaganza series published by Bloomsbury.
- The fantasy novel Special Powers (1997) was republished in 2008 by Barn Owl Books.
- The historical novel The Falconer's Knot (Bloomsbury, 2007) was shortlisted for The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Children’s Book Award and North East Teenage Book Award. - Troubadour published by Bloomsbury (2009)
- David will be published by Bloomsbury in July 2011
Picturebooks
She has created 24 picture books, including the three books in the Grace series which have together sold over a million and a half copies. Amazing Grace, published in 1991, made the New York Times Bestseller lists.Junior fiction and non-fiction
Mary Hoffman has written titles for junior readers' series, including Beware, Princess! the first title illustrated by the British illustrator Chris RiddellChris Riddell
Chris Riddell is a British illustrator and occasional writer of children's literature, and a political cartoonist for The Observer. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize seven times....
. She has also written children's non-fiction.
She has written re-tellings of myths and legends, fairy stories, nursery stories King Arthur and the Bible, including Women of Camelot, which tells the King Arthur stories from the points of view of the female characters. She has also edited collections of stories, including Lines in the Sand (2003) – a response to the allied invasion of Iraq, with all funds raised donated to UNICEF in Iraq. She has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is an international children's literature award, established by the Swedish government in 2002 in honour of the Swedish children's books writer Astrid Lindgren...
2011.