Sally Nicholls - Author
I was born in Stockton-on-Tees, just after midnight, in a thunderstorm. My father died when I was two, and my brother Ian and I were brought up my mother. I always wanted to write - when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I used to say "I'm going to be a writer" - very definite.
I've always loved reading, and I spent most of my childhood trying to make real life as much like a book as possible. My friends and I had a secret club like the Secret Seven, and when I was nine I got most of my hair cut off because I wanted to look like George in the Famous Five. I was a real tomboy - I liked riding my bike, climbing trees and building dens in our garden. And I liked making up stories. I used to wander round my school playground at break, making up stories in my head.
I went to two secondary schools - a little Quaker school in North Yorkshire (where it was so cold that thick woolly jumpers were part of the school uniform) and a big comprehensive. I was very lonely at the little school, but I made friends at the comprehensive and got on all right. I didn't like being a teenager very much, though.
After school, I got to be an adult, which was fantastic. I went and worked in a Red Cross Hospital in Japan and then travelled around Australia and New Zealand. I jumped off bridges and tall buildings, climbed Mount Doom, wore a kimono and went to see a ballet in the Sydney Opera House. Then I came back and did a degree in Philosophy and Literature at Warwick. In my third year, realising with some panic that I was now supposed to earn a living, I enrolled in a masters in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa. It was here that I wrote Ways to Live Forever. I also won the prize for the writer with most potential, through which I got my agent. Four months later, I had a publisher.
I now live in a little house in Oxford, writing stories, and trying to believe my luck.
Photo credit Barrington Stoke website
August 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: classic time-slip adventure with some contemporary twists | Sally Nicholls is adept at balancing excitement with humour, creating original page-turning stories that are rich with insight. Well-versed in time travel plots Alex and Ruby quickly guess what’s happened when they fall through an old mirror into 1912. They make friends with the children of the house, Dora and Henry (one of whom could be a great-grandparent) before being caught up in adventure: someone has stolen a valuable antique cup from charming Uncle Atherton, on the eve of his wedding too. High drama ensues including a race after the thieves in a vintage car. It’s a thoroughly satisfying adventure, with a proper sense of what the past would actually be like (much grubbier and smellier than Alex and Ruby expect), and tinged with real sadness too: the children are all too aware of what is in Henry and Ruby’s future. ~ Andrea Reece For more engaging and surprising time-travel adventure try Evie’s Ghost by Helen Peters. The Editor at Nosy Crow says: “A fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable adventure from the always-entertaining Sally Nicholls. I couldn’t stop reading it!”
May 2018 Book of the Month | | Interest Age 5-8 | The villagers in this charming story rely on their telephone for different reasons and when the local line is damaged in a storm they are all affected. Margaret can't organise her May Fair, Jean can't keep in touch with her family and Will's mum might miss the latest naughty escapades her son has got up to! After the telephone company arrives to fix the wires things get more complicated as the houses are mistakenly connected to the wrong number and confusion reigns. But as the neighbours have to relay messages to each other the community starts to grow closer. Based upon true events this is a heartwarming tale of friendship and solidarity borne out of adversity, with the uplifting message that co-operation and kindness brings the highest rewards.
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | February 2018 Book of the Month This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very different backgrounds is at once a riveting character-driven read, and an outstandingly rich account of British social history between 1914 and 1917. Seventeen-year-old Evelyn is exasperated by the unfairness of a society in which her academically disinterested brother is afforded the expensive privilege of going up to Oxford while her genuine desire to broaden her mind is dismissed as pointless. “These university women lead very sad lives, I'd hoped for better things for you - a husband, and a family, and a home of your own,” her mother poo-poo’s. But, shirking familial disapproval, Evelyn joins the Suffragette movement and finds herself at the heart of a highly-charged rally, with serious repercussions. Then there’s May, a flamboyant fifteen-year-old who revels in being different and is encouraged to do so by her liberal Quaker mother. May is also a passionate Suffragette, and passionate, too, about Nell, a working class girl from Poplar. The flowering of their love and lust is brilliantly portrayed, as is the contrast between their respective backgrounds. Then, the political conflict of WWI heralds personal conflicts for the three young women, not least when Nell’s desire to contribute to the war effort angers pacifist May. The nature and struggles of masculinity are also excellently explored through, for example, Nell’s brother who wrestles with "feeling much less of a man than he should be”. This novel is the perfect tribute to the incredible women who blazed a trail during the early twentieth century, and its inspirational scope and storytelling excellence cannot be praised enough. I loved it. ~ Joanne Owen
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Book of the Month This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very different backgrounds is at once a riveting character-driven read, and an outstandingly rich account of British social history between 1914 and 1917. Seventeen-year-old Evelyn is exasperated by the unfairness of a society in which her academically disinterested brother is afforded the expensive privilege of going up to Oxford while her genuine desire to broaden her mind is dismissed as pointless. “These university women lead very sad lives, I'd hoped for better things for you - a husband, and a family, and a home of your own,” her mother poo-poo’s. But, shirking familial disapproval, Evelyn joins the Suffragette movement and finds herself at the heart of a highly-charged rally, with serious repercussions. Then there’s May, a flamboyant fifteen-year-old who revels in being different and is encouraged to do so by her liberal Quaker mother. May is also a passionate Suffragette, and passionate, too, about Nell, a working class girl from Poplar. The flowering of their love and lust is brilliantly portrayed, as is the contrast between their respective backgrounds. Then, the political conflict of WWI heralds personal conflicts for the three young women, not least when Nell’s desire to contribute to the war effort angers pacifist May. The nature and struggles of masculinity are also excellently explored through, for example, Nell’s brother who wrestles with "feeling much less of a man than he should be”. This novel is the perfect tribute to the incredible women who blazed a trail during the early twentieth century, and its inspirational scope and storytelling excellence cannot be praised enough. I loved it. ~ Joanne Owen
Interest Age 5-8 Ella wants to know on which day of the week she was born, but her family can’t say; Ella’s big brother is very sick and she often feels that it’s all about Sam, while she is overlooked. In chapters that echo the poem Monday’s Child we follow Ella through an eventful week, as she learns more about the kind of person she really is. It’s a sensitive and moving story, beautifully told, its short extent and the simplicity of language belying the depth of emotion and sophistication of the message. ~ Andrea Reece High quality cream paper and a special easy to read font ensure a smooth read for all. About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Book of the Month Meet the Buttons. Mrs Button runs a shop – the nicest thing about it, she says, is the people – Mr Button runs the post office. The story is set in the days before text messages, emails, the internet and if you want to send a message urgently, a telegram is the way to do it. Young Billy Button longs to be a telegram boy, delivering those important messages on a shiny red bicycle. He gets to do it too, breaking a few Royal Mail rules but ensuring two people get to live happily ever after in the process. It’s a really happy story, a celebration of communication and of thinking the best of our neighbours, and lovely to look at too. Easy to read, this brings to mind Allan Ahlberg’s Happy Families series in its charm, warmth and optimism. ~ Andrea Reece About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2016 Book Award in the 12 - 16 year old category. Shortlisted for the 2015 Guardian Children's Book prize From the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book prize comes a new novel about family and friendship. Jonathan, Holly and Davy have been struggling since their mother's death. On a visit to eccentric Great-Aunt Irene, they receive some photographs that could lead them to an inheritance. But they're not the only ones after the treasure... The following titles have been longlisted for the 2015 Guardian Children's Book PrizeFive Children on the Western Front by Kate SaundersA Song for Ella Grey by David AlmondMy Name’s Not Friday by Jon Walter Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge An Island of our Own by Sally Nicholls El Deafo by Cece Bell All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven This year’s prize is being judged by authors Piers Torday, Jenny Valentine and Natasha Farrant, and chaired by Guardian children’s books editor and Lovereading4kids editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare. Torday said: “These books are quite simply some of the best writing for children today, from graphic novels to Victorian sequels, Greek myths to the US civil war. Diverse, complex, accessible, experimental, page turning and heart-breaking, they bring young readers the world on a single shelf.” The winner of the prize will be announced on the 19th November.
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2016 Book Award in the 12 - 16 year old category. Shortlisted for the 2015 Costa Children's Book Award - Shortlisted for the 2015 Guardian Children's Book prize From the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book prize comes a new novel about family and friendship. Jonathan, Holly and Davy have been struggling since their mother's death. On a visit to eccentric Great-Aunt Irene, they receive some photographs that could lead them to an inheritance. But they're not the only ones after the treasure... “A very modern book which has the feel of a classic as well as heaps of heart.” Costa Children's Book Award Judges
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ Award-winning Sally Nicholls tenderly captures the loneliness of two girls without families as they share their experiences of being outsiders. Clare’s been in foster care for most of her life; she likes her foster mother Lyn but hates being bullied at school. After a horrible day there, she meets Maddy who lives in a children’s home. Like Clare, Maddy is 14 and the two girls seem to have much in common. But who is Maddy? Sally Nicholls deftly adds a surprising twist. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+
Award- winning Sally Nicholls tells a powerful and harrowing story of Olivia, a child so damaged by her fractured childhood that she seems irrevocably programmed to destroy the good things on offer to her. When Olivia is sent to live in her sixteenth home the chance of a new life opens up before her. Can she take it or, will she destroy it just as she has all the others? Sally Nicholls writes a powerful story capturing how a child can learn to trust – and love – again.
A brilliant evocation of the utter devastation caused by The Black Death in 1349 which combines a remarkable optimism about human nature and morality in the midst of an epidemic on an exceptional scale. Isabel’s world collapses around her as the illness sweeps in and destroys the family and small community she has known. There is no escape. The only way to survive is to find exceptional inner courage which is exactly what Isabel does. Sally Nicholls weaves an imaginative and convincing fiction that brings a tragic episode of English history to life.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 Award-winning Sally Nicholls brings medieval romance to life in this easy-to-read and vivid story about young love which shows that despite the years between then and now the feelings of young lovers remain unchanged! When Dan arrives to train as a page in her father’s court, feisty young Elinor falls deeply in love with him. When her father discovers, he is furious. He has other plans for his daughter. Will Elinor have to submit to his will or will she be able to find her own happiness?
March 2012 Book of the Month. This is an eagerly anticipated, powerful and inspiring historical novel about survival in the face of real-life horror from one of today's most exciting young writers. Sally Nicholls provides a heartbreaking account of one of the most terrifying events in history - the outbreak of the Black Death in 1349. It's perfect for fans of Meg Rosoff.
A haunting and unforgettable novel from the award-winning author of Ways to Live Forever. Season of Secrets weaves the tale of a heartbroken child and an age-old legend into beautiful story of love, healing and strange magic. Resonant of classics such as The Owl Service by Alan Garner, Whistle Down the Wind by Mary Hayley Bell and Skellig by David Almond, the protagonist’s story is told in the pure, clear voice we have come to expect from this astonishingly accomplished and powerful young writer. Sally Nicholls is simply an exceptionally talented writer, who writes beautifully. Her intelligent, warm fiction is honest and profound, complex yet accessible.
Shortlisted for the 2009 Branford Boase Best Debut Novel Award. Winner of Glen Dimplex Prize for New Writers 2008. Winner of Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008. Winner of Luchs Prize (Germany) for best children’s book published in Germany in the last year. Sympathetic, touching, and surprisingly funny, Ways To Live Forever is a fantastic debut from Sally Nicholls. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs and horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers for the questions nobody will answer. This diary account of a young boy dying of leukaemia will pull on heartstrings and have you in fits of laughter at the same time.
A haunting and unforgettable new novel From the award-winning author of Ways to Live Forever. Season of Secrets weaves the tale of a heartbroken child and an age-old legend into beautiful story of love, healing and strange magic. Resonant of classics such as The Owl Service by Alan Garner, Whistle Down the Wind by Mary Hayley Bell and Skellig by David Almond, the protagonist’s story is told in the pure, clear voice we have come to expect from this astonishingly accomplished and powerful young writer. Sally Nicholls is simply an exceptionally talented writer, who writes beautifully. Her intelligent, warm fiction is honest and profound, complex yet accessible.
A haunting and unforgettable new novel From the award-winning author of Ways to Live Forever. Season of Secrets weaves the tale of a heartbroken child and an age-old legend into beautiful story of love, healing and strange magic. Resonant of classics such as The Owl Service by Alan Garner, Whistle Down the Wind by Mary Hayley Bell and Skellig by David Almond, the protagonist’s story is told in the pure, clear voice we have come to expect from this astonishingly accomplished and powerful young writer. Sally Nicholls is simply an exceptionally talented writer, who writes beautifully. Her intelligent, warm fiction is honest and profound, complex yet accessible.
Shortlisted for the 2009 Branford Boase Best Debut Novel Award Sympathetic, touching, and surprisingly funny, Ways To Live Forever is a fantastic debut from Sally Nicholls. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs and horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers for the questions nobody will answer. This diary account of a young boy dying of Leukaemia will pull on heartstrings and have you in fits of laughter at the same time. Winner of Glen Dimplex Prize for New Writers 2008 Winner of Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008 Winner of Luchs Prize (Germany) for best children’s book published in Germany in the last year
Sympathetic, touching, and surprisingly funny, Ways To Live Forever is a fantastic debut from Sally Nicholls. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers for the questions nobody will answer. This diary account of a young boy dying of Leukaemia will pull on heartstrings and have you in fits of laughter at the same time. Winner of Glen Dimplex Prize for New Writers 2008 Winner of Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008 Winner of Luchs Prize (Germany) for best children’s book published in Germany in the last year Longlisted for Branford Boase Award 2009
Having survived their first time-slip adventure (A Chase in Time), Alex and his sister, Ruby, have tumbled back through the mirror into the freezing-cold winter of 1947. Food is scarce in the aftermath of the Second World War and life at Applecott House is hard. The children decide to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom, little expecting to find themselves trekking across the snow and having an adventure involving a frozen waterfall...
August 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: classic time-slip adventure with some contemporary twists | Sally Nicholls is adept at balancing excitement with humour, creating original page-turning stories that are rich with insight. Well-versed in time travel plots Alex and Ruby quickly guess what’s happened when they fall through an old mirror into 1912. They make friends with the children of the house, Dora and Henry (one of whom could be a great-grandparent) before being caught up in adventure: someone has stolen a valuable antique cup from charming Uncle Atherton, on the eve of his wedding too. High drama ensues including a race after the thieves in a vintage car. It’s a thoroughly satisfying adventure, with a proper sense of what the past would actually be like (much grubbier and smellier than Alex and Ruby expect), and tinged with real sadness too: the children are all too aware of what is in Henry and Ruby’s future. ~ Andrea Reece For more engaging and surprising time-travel adventure try Evie’s Ghost by Helen Peters. The Editor at Nosy Crow says: “A fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable adventure from the always-entertaining Sally Nicholls. I couldn’t stop reading it!”
May 2018 Book of the Month | | Interest Age 5-8 | The villagers in this charming story rely on their telephone for different reasons and when the local line is damaged in a storm they are all affected. Margaret can't organise her May Fair, Jean can't keep in touch with her family and Will's mum might miss the latest naughty escapades her son has got up to! After the telephone company arrives to fix the wires things get more complicated as the houses are mistakenly connected to the wrong number and confusion reigns. But as the neighbours have to relay messages to each other the community starts to grow closer. Based upon true events this is a heartwarming tale of friendship and solidarity borne out of adversity, with the uplifting message that co-operation and kindness brings the highest rewards.
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | February 2018 Book of the Month This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very different backgrounds is at once a riveting character-driven read, and an outstandingly rich account of British social history between 1914 and 1917. Seventeen-year-old Evelyn is exasperated by the unfairness of a society in which her academically disinterested brother is afforded the expensive privilege of going up to Oxford while her genuine desire to broaden her mind is dismissed as pointless. “These university women lead very sad lives, I'd hoped for better things for you - a husband, and a family, and a home of your own,” her mother poo-poo’s. But, shirking familial disapproval, Evelyn joins the Suffragette movement and finds herself at the heart of a highly-charged rally, with serious repercussions. Then there’s May, a flamboyant fifteen-year-old who revels in being different and is encouraged to do so by her liberal Quaker mother. May is also a passionate Suffragette, and passionate, too, about Nell, a working class girl from Poplar. The flowering of their love and lust is brilliantly portrayed, as is the contrast between their respective backgrounds. Then, the political conflict of WWI heralds personal conflicts for the three young women, not least when Nell’s desire to contribute to the war effort angers pacifist May. The nature and struggles of masculinity are also excellently explored through, for example, Nell’s brother who wrestles with "feeling much less of a man than he should be”. This novel is the perfect tribute to the incredible women who blazed a trail during the early twentieth century, and its inspirational scope and storytelling excellence cannot be praised enough. I loved it. ~ Joanne Owen
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Book of the Month This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very different backgrounds is at once a riveting character-driven read, and an outstandingly rich account of British social history between 1914 and 1917. Seventeen-year-old Evelyn is exasperated by the unfairness of a society in which her academically disinterested brother is afforded the expensive privilege of going up to Oxford while her genuine desire to broaden her mind is dismissed as pointless. “These university women lead very sad lives, I'd hoped for better things for you - a husband, and a family, and a home of your own,” her mother poo-poo’s. But, shirking familial disapproval, Evelyn joins the Suffragette movement and finds herself at the heart of a highly-charged rally, with serious repercussions. Then there’s May, a flamboyant fifteen-year-old who revels in being different and is encouraged to do so by her liberal Quaker mother. May is also a passionate Suffragette, and passionate, too, about Nell, a working class girl from Poplar. The flowering of their love and lust is brilliantly portrayed, as is the contrast between their respective backgrounds. Then, the political conflict of WWI heralds personal conflicts for the three young women, not least when Nell’s desire to contribute to the war effort angers pacifist May. The nature and struggles of masculinity are also excellently explored through, for example, Nell’s brother who wrestles with "feeling much less of a man than he should be”. This novel is the perfect tribute to the incredible women who blazed a trail during the early twentieth century, and its inspirational scope and storytelling excellence cannot be praised enough. I loved it. ~ Joanne Owen
Interest Age 5-8 Ella wants to know on which day of the week she was born, but her family can’t say; Ella’s big brother is very sick and she often feels that it’s all about Sam, while she is overlooked. In chapters that echo the poem Monday’s Child we follow Ella through an eventful week, as she learns more about the kind of person she really is. It’s a sensitive and moving story, beautifully told, its short extent and the simplicity of language belying the depth of emotion and sophistication of the message. ~ Andrea Reece High quality cream paper and a special easy to read font ensure a smooth read for all. About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Book of the Month Meet the Buttons. Mrs Button runs a shop – the nicest thing about it, she says, is the people – Mr Button runs the post office. The story is set in the days before text messages, emails, the internet and if you want to send a message urgently, a telegram is the way to do it. Young Billy Button longs to be a telegram boy, delivering those important messages on a shiny red bicycle. He gets to do it too, breaking a few Royal Mail rules but ensuring two people get to live happily ever after in the process. It’s a really happy story, a celebration of communication and of thinking the best of our neighbours, and lovely to look at too. Easy to read, this brings to mind Allan Ahlberg’s Happy Families series in its charm, warmth and optimism. ~ Andrea Reece About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
Sympathetic, touching, and surprisingly funny, Ways To Live Forever is a fantastic debut from Sally Nicholls. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers for the questions nobody will answer. This diary account of a young boy dying of Leukaemia will pull on heartstrings and have you in fits of laughter at the same time. Winner of Glen Dimplex Prize for New Writers 2008 Winner of Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008 Winner of Luchs Prize (Germany) for best children’s book published in Germany in the last year Longlisted for Branford Boase Award 2009
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2016 Book Award in the 12 - 16 year old category. Shortlisted for the 2015 Guardian Children's Book prize From the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book prize comes a new novel about family and friendship. Jonathan, Holly and Davy have been struggling since their mother's death. On a visit to eccentric Great-Aunt Irene, they receive some photographs that could lead them to an inheritance. But they're not the only ones after the treasure... The following titles have been longlisted for the 2015 Guardian Children's Book PrizeFive Children on the Western Front by Kate SaundersA Song for Ella Grey by David AlmondMy Name’s Not Friday by Jon Walter Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge An Island of our Own by Sally Nicholls El Deafo by Cece Bell All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven This year’s prize is being judged by authors Piers Torday, Jenny Valentine and Natasha Farrant, and chaired by Guardian children’s books editor and Lovereading4kids editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare. Torday said: “These books are quite simply some of the best writing for children today, from graphic novels to Victorian sequels, Greek myths to the US civil war. Diverse, complex, accessible, experimental, page turning and heart-breaking, they bring young readers the world on a single shelf.” The winner of the prize will be announced on the 19th November.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ Award-winning Sally Nicholls tenderly captures the loneliness of two girls without families as they share their experiences of being outsiders. Clare’s been in foster care for most of her life; she likes her foster mother Lyn but hates being bullied at school. After a horrible day there, she meets Maddy who lives in a children’s home. Like Clare, Maddy is 14 and the two girls seem to have much in common. But who is Maddy? Sally Nicholls deftly adds a surprising twist. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+
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