Sita Brahmachari | |
|---|---|
 Sita Brahmachari at Guernsey Book Festival | |
| Born | 1966 (age 56–57) Derby, England |
| Education | Bristol University, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Notable awards | Waterstones Children's Book Prize (2011) |
Sita Brahmachari (born 1966) is a British author known for her work in children's and young adult literature. Her debut novel, Artichoke Hearts, later published in the United States as Mira in the Present Tense, won the 2011 Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Brahmachari was born in Derby, England in 1966. [1] [2] Her father was a doctor from Kolkata, who emigrated from India in the 1950s, and her mother was a nurse from Lake District. [3] [2] [4]
After completing her A-levels, Brahmachari worked as an au pair in France, and attended Le Cours Florent Drama College. [3] She later attended Bristol University and completed a Master of Arts at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. [3]
Brahmachari's debut novel, Artichoke Hearts, which was later published in the United States as Mira in the Present Tense, [5] was based on her mother-in-law [2] [6] and published by Macmillan in 2011. The book won the 2011 Waterstones Children's Book Prize. [2] [6] The novel was followed by Jasmine Skies, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. [7]
The following year, Brahmachari took on the position of Writer-in-Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants. The same year, she became Patron of Reading at Fortismere School. [8]
Brahmachari also wrote the script for The Arrival, a play based on a graphic novel by Shaun Tan, which was produced by Kristine Landon-Smith in 2013. [9] [10]
In 2015, Brahmachari was appointed as an online writer-in-residence with BookTrust for a six-month term. [7]
She has also been a human rights ambassador for Amnesty International. [11]
In 2018, Tender Earth was on the IBBY honour list for writing. In 2018, Where the River Runs Gold was selected as the Waterstone's Children’s Book of the Month (July 2019). [12] In 2020, When Secrets Set Sail was selected as a Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Month. [13] In 2021, When Shadows Fall was named one of the best children's books of the year by The Guardian [14] and The Times . [15]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Artichoke Hearts | Waterstones Children's Books Prize | Winner | [16] |
| 2012 | Artichoke Hearts | Redbridge Children's Book Award | Winner | [17] |
| 2012 | Artichoke Hearts | Carnegie Medal | Longlist | [18] |
| 2013 | Jasmine Skies | Carnegie Medal | Longlist | [19] |
| 2014 | Kite Spirit | UKLA Book Award | Longlist | [20] |
| 2016 | Red Leaves | Carnegie Medal | Nominee | [21] |
| 2018 | Tender Earth | Little Rebels Award | Shortlist | [22] |
| 2018 | Tender Earth | IBBY Certificate of Honour | Winner | [23] |
| 2018 | Tender Earth | Carnegie Medal | Nominee | [24] |
| 2018 | Worry Angels | Jhalak Prize | Longlist | [25] |
| 2019 | Worry Angels | Carnegie Medal | Nominee | [26] |
| 2019 | Zebra Crossing Soul Song | Carnegie Medal | Nominee | [26] |
| 2023 | When Shadows Fall | Carnegie Medal | Shortlist | [27] |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) [33] {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) [36] {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) [37] {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)The Carnegie Medal for Writing, established in 1936, is a British literary award that annually recognises one outstanding new English-language book for children or young adults. It is conferred upon the author by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), who calls it "the UK's oldest and most prestigious book award for children's writing". CILIP is currently partnered with the audio technology company Yoto in connection with the award.
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