Anne Fine

Anne Fine, OBE FRSL (b. 7 December 1947, Leicester, England) is a British author best known for her children's books, of which she has written more than 50. She also writes for adults. She was appointed the second Children's Laureate, in succession to Quentin Blake, holding the position from 2001 to 2003.

Education and awards

She was educated at Northampton High School and graduated in politics from University of Warwick. She currently lives in Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE in 2003. She was married to the philosopher Kit Fine.

Books

Her books for older children include the award winning The Tulip Touch and Goggle-Eyes, which was adapted for television by writer Deborah Hall for the BBC. Twentieth Century Fox filmed her satirical^[2] novel Madame Doubtfire as Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams. Her books for younger children include Bill's New Frock and How to Write Really Badly. Her work has been translated into 27 languages.

• The Stone Menagerie (1980) ISBN 0-7497-4603-3
• Round Behind the Ice-House (1981) ISBN 0-14-037363-2
• The Granny Project (1983) ISBN 0-7497-4832-X
• Madame Doubtfire (US title: Alias Madame Doubtfire) (1987) ISBN 0-14-037355-1
• Goggle-Eyes (1989) ISBN 0-14-034071-8
• The Book of the Banshee (1991) ISBN 0-14-034704-6
• Flour Babies (1992) ISBN 0-14-036147-2
• Step by Wicked Step (1995) ISBN 0-14-036647-4
• The Tulip Touch (1996) ISBN 0-14-037808-1
• Very Different (2001) ISBN 0-7497-4370-0 (short story collection)
• Up on Cloud Nine (2002) ISBN 0-385-60372-X
• A Shame to Miss 3 (2002) ISBN 0-552-54869-3 (poetry anthology, selected by Anne Fine)
• On the Summerhouse Steps (2006) ISBN 0-552-55269-0 (Updated version of The Summer House Loon and The Other Darker Ned with new linking text)
• The Road of Bones (2006) ISBN 0-385-61063-7
• Fly in the Ointment (2008) ISBN 978-0-552-77467-3

Books for middle children

• Anneli the Art Hater (1986) ISBN 1-4052-0186-X
• A Pack of Liars (1988) ISBN 0-14-032954-4
• Crummy Mummy and Me (1988) ISBN 0-14-032876-9
• A Sudden Puff of Glittering Smoke (1989)
• A Sudden Swirl of Icy Wind (1990)
• A Sudden Glow of Gold (1991)
• Genie, Genie, Genie (2004) ISBN 1-4052-1202-0 (The above three titles combined in one volume)
• The Country Pancake (1989) ISBN 1-4052-0062-6
• Bill's New Frock (1989), illustrated by Philippe Dupasquier, ISBN 1-4052-0060-X
• The Chicken Gave It To Me (1992) ISBN 1-4052-0078-2
• The Angel of Nitshill Road (1993) ISBN 1-4052-0184-3
• How To Write Really Badly (1996) ISBN 1-4052-0061-8
• Loudmouth Louis (1998) ISBN 0-14-130205-4
• Charm School (1999) ISBN 0-440-86400-3
• Telling Tales (Interview/Autobiography) (1999) ISBN 1-4052-0053-7
• Bad Dreams (2000) ISBN 0-440-86424-0
• A Shame to Miss 2 (2002) ISBN 0-552-54868-5 (poetry anthology, selected by Anne Fine)
• The More the Merrier (US title: The True Story of Christmas) (2003) ISBN 0-440-86585-9
• Frozen Billy (2004) ISBN 0-385-60769-5
• Ivan the Terrible (2007) ISBN 1-4052-3324-9

Books for younger children

• Scaredy-Cat (1985) ISBN 1-4052-0251-3
• Stranger Danger? (1989) ISBN 0-14-130913-X
• Only a Show (1990) ISBN 0-14-038843-5
• The Worst Child I Ever Had (1991) ISBN 0-14-034799-2
• Design a Pram (1991) ISBN 1-4052-0137-1
• The Same Old Story Every Year (1992) ISBN 0-14-130275-5
• The Haunting of Pip Parker (1992) ISBN 0-7445-8294-6
• Press Play (1994) ISBN 1-4052-0185-1
• The Diary of a Killer Cat (1994) ISBN 0-14-036931-7
• Care of Henry (1996) ISBN 0-7445-8270-9
• Jennifer's Diary (1996) ISBN 0-14-038060-4
• Countdown (1996) ISBN 0-7497-4672-6
• Roll Over Roly (1999) ISBN 0-14-131504-0
• Notso Hotso (2001) ISBN 0-241-14138-9
• The Jamie and Angus Stories (2002) ISBN 0-7445-5965-0
• A Shame to Miss 1 (2002) ISBN 0-552-54867-7 (poetry anthology, selected by Anne Fine)
• How to Cross the Road and Not Turn into a Pizza (2002) ISBN 0-7445-9001-9
• The Return of the Killer Cat (2003) ISBN 0-14-131719-1
• Nag Club (2004) ISBN 0-7445-9796-X
• It Moved! (2006) ISBN 1-4063-0013-6

Picture books

• Poor Monty (1991) ISBN 1-4052-1097-4
• Ruggles (2001) ISBN 0-86264-895-5

Books for adults

• The Killjoy (1986) ISBN 0-14-023842-5

Nobody has ever treated Ian Laidlow in a natural way. Disfigured by hideous facial scars he had never been treated with anything other than distant courtesy. But then Alicia Davie, a careless, ignorant young student breaks this pattern by laughing in his face. Alicia goes on to infiltrate the hidden man, going through the face he presents to the world, through his scar patch, to discover the hidden man, never realising that she is playing with fire...

• In Cold Domain (1994) ISBN 0-670-85609-6

A glorious tirade against the grind of motherhood. Lilith Collett lives in an Eden, a paradise that enchanted the childhoods of her children. Now if any one of them dares to defy her in the smallest matter, she destroys yet another part of the garden and of their childhood. Enter an archangel, Miguel-Angel Arqueso Algaron Perez de Vega, under whose spell the downtrodden Barbara dares to defy her mother. When Williams lover Casper weighs in in his subtle way the fate of the Colletts and their garden are finally and unexpectedly sealed.

• Taking the Devil's Advice (1990) ISBN 0-670-83191-3

A philosopher spends his summer with his children, his ex-wife and his ex-gardener (his ex-wife's new husband) to write his autobiography. His notes are interspersed with his wife's side of the story, and though philosophy was always easier for Oliver than real life, real life is about to come crashing down around him.

• Telling Liddy (1998) ISBN 0-593-04235-2
• All Bones and Lies (2001) ISBN 0-593-04725-7
• Raking the Ashes (2005) ISBN 0-593-05412-1
• Our Precious Lulu (2009) ISBN 0-593-06361-9

Short stories

• 2009 "Walk on Water, Walk on Air" (Sunday Times, Jan 18th, online text)

Prizes and awards

• 1984 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) - The Granny Project
• 1987 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) - Madame Doubtfire
• 1987 Whitbread Children's Book Award (shortlist) - Madame Doubtfire
• 1990 Carnegie Medal - Goggle-Eyes
• 1990 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize - Goggle-Eyes
• 1990 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award)(6–8 years category) - Bill's New Frock
• 1990 Publishing News - Children's Author of the Year Award
• 1991 British Book Awards - Children's Author of the Year
• 1992 Carnegie Medal - Flour Babies
• 1993 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) - The Angel of Nitshill Road
• 1993 Publishing News - Children's Author of the Year Award
• 1993 Whitbread Children's Book Award - Flour Babies
• 1994 British Book Awards - Children's Author of the Year
• 1996 Whitbread Children's Book Award - The Tulip Touch
• 1998 Prix Sorcières - Diary of a Killer Cat ( Journal d'un chat assassin)
• 2001 Children's Laureate
• 2002 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) - Up On Cloud Nine
• 2003 OBE^[3]
• 2004 Red House Children's Book Award (shortlist Younger Readers category) - The More The Merrier

Sources

External links

• Anne Fine's website
• Transcript of interview with Ramona Koval, The Book Show, ABC Radio National, 8 September 2008
• The Children's Laureate
• My Home Library scheme, launched by Fine
• Anne Fine at Contemporary Writers
• BBC Radio 4 interview about Raking the Ashes on 18 April 2005.
• BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour interview about Raking the Ashes on 11 April 2005.
• Interview with Anne Fine (Veronika Asks)