Christine Pillainayagam

Last updated
Christine Pillainayagam
Christine pillainayagam 2023 1.jpg
Pillainayagam in 2023
Born
Christine Marina Pillainayagam

1981
Norwich, England
Years active2018–present
Children2

Christine Marina Pillainayagam (born 1981) is an English writer. Her debut young adult (YA) novel Ellie Pillai is Brown (2022), the first in a trilogy, won the Branford Boase Award.

Contents

Early life

Pillainayagam was born in Norwich to Sri Lankan Tamil parents and grew up in Sheringham. [1]

Career

From 2018 to 2022, Pillainayagam wrote a lifestyle blog titled The Little Brown Book. [2]

In 2021, Pillainayagam signed her first two-book deal for a coming-of-age series with Faber & Faber. [3] The first of these titled Ellie Pillai is Brown was published in 2022, marking Pillainayagam's debut. The novel follows the titular 15-year-old character, inspired by the author's own love of music and secondary school experiences. [4] Ellie Pillai is Brown won the 2023 Branford Boase Award and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Jhalak Prize in the Children's and Young Adult category. It also featured on the Reading Agency's Big Eurovision Read list. [5] The second novel in the series Ellie Pillai is (Almost) in Love was published in 2023, [6] followed by the third and final installment Ellie Pillai is Not Done Yet in 2024. [7]

Personal life

Pillainayagam has lived in North London and Faversham, Kent. She has two children. [8]

Bibliography

Ellie Pillai trilogy

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryTitleResultRef
2023 Waterstones Children's Book Prize Older FictionEllie Pillai is BrownShortlisted [9]
Jhalak Prize Children's and Young AdultShortlisted [10]
Branford Boase Award Won [11]

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Stuart (15 February 2023). "Ellie Pillai Is Brown shortlisted for Waterstones Book Prize". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Christine Pillainayagam". Susanna Lea Associates. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  3. ↑ Hackett, Tamsin (21 September 2021). "Faber picks up Pillainayagam's 'incredibly funny' YA series". The Bookseller. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Takhi, Simran Kaur (13 July 2022). "'Ellie Pillai Is Brown': Christine Pillainayagam's Joyful Youth Novel of a Music-Obsessed Tamil Teen". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Kemp-Habib, Alice (28 March 2023). "Titles by Pratchett and Stormzy featured on Big Eurovision Read list". The Bookseller.
  6. ↑ Tyson, Sarah (28 March 2023). "Kid's Book Review: Ellie Pillai is (Almost) in Love". Books Up North. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  7. ↑ O'Connor-May, Lauren (30 January 2025). "Book review: Ellie Pillai is not done yet". The Star. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  8. ↑ "Christine Pillainayagam". Reading Zone. May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Brown, Lauren (9 February 2023). "Walker and Newbery among shortlistees for Waterstones Children's Book Prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Jhalak Prize 2023 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing . 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Porter (13 July 2023). "England: Christine Pillainayagam, Leah Thaxton Win the Branford Boase". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
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