Carnegie Medal for Writing
1 appearances
-
Edition 61 (1996) Winner
Melvin Burgess
メルヴィン・バージェス
Melvin Burgess
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1954-04-25 （Twickenham, London, England）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Twickenham, London → Bristol (frequently featured in his work)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Children's fiction writer
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Affiliations
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- Memberships
- Royal Society of Literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Carnegie Medal | Junk | — | CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) | winner |
| 1996 | Guardian Children's Fiction Prize | Junk | — | The Guardian | winner |
| 2022 | Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature | — | — | Royal Society of Literature | elected |
| 1990 | Carnegie Medal (Highly Commended) | The Cry of the Wolf | — | CILIP | highly commended |
| 1993 | Carnegie Medal (Highly Commended) | The Baby and Fly Pie | — | CILIP | highly commended |
| 2000 | Carnegie Medal (Commended) | The Ghost Behind the Wall | — | CILIP | commended |
Carnegie Medal
1996
Work:
Junk
Organization:
CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)
Result:
winner
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
1996
Work:
Junk
Organization:
The Guardian
Result:
winner
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
2022
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
elected
Carnegie Medal (Highly Commended)
1990
Work:
The Cry of the Wolf
Organization:
CILIP
Result:
highly commended
Carnegie Medal (Highly Commended)
1993
Work:
The Baby and Fly Pie
Organization:
CILIP
Result:
highly commended
Carnegie Medal (Commended)
2000
Work:
The Ghost Behind the Wall
Organization:
CILIP
Result:
commended
Awards & Nominations
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 33 (1997) Winner
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 25 (2004) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Cry of the Wolf
1990 Children's fiction (animal novel)An early novel focusing on wolves; a children's book that received commendation upon publication.
NatureHuman-animal relationships
Junk
1996 Young adult (realist)A novel about heroin-addicted teenagers; it provoked controversy on publication and became one of Britain's best-known YA books of the decade.
Drug addictionYouth alienationFriendship and betrayal
Adaptations
- [Television (adaptation)] Life as We Know It
Translations
Kite
1997 Children's/Young adultFeatures a boy who hatches a red kite egg; deals with nature and growing up.
Coming of ageNature
Bloodtide
1999 Post-apocalypse / Myth retellingA post-apocalyptic adaptation of the Volsunga Saga; a modern reinterpretation of myth.
MythViolence and revenge
The Ghost Behind the Wall
2000 Young adult with fantastic elementsA book that contains less realist and sometimes fantastic themes, blending reality and the supernatural.
The fantasticFamily
Doing It
2003 Young adult (realist)Deals directly with underage sex and caused controversy; adapted in the U.S. as a television series.
SexComing of ageInterpersonal relationships
Adaptations
- [Television series (US)] Life as We Know It
Billy Elliot (novelisation)
2001 NovelisationNovelisation of the film Billy Elliot, based on Lee Hall's screenplay.
FamilyDreamsClass
Bloodsong
2007 Post-apocalypse / Myth retellingSequel to Bloodtide, continuing myth-inspired post-apocalyptic narrative.
MythRevenge
Loki
2022 Young adult / contemporaryOne of his recent works; detailed synopsis omitted.
Bibliography
- The Cry of the Wolf (1990)
- An Angel for May (1992)
- Burning Issy (1992)
- The Baby and Fly Pie (1993)
- Loving April (1995)
- The Earth Giant (1995)
- Junk (1996)
- Tiger, Tiger (1996)
- Kite (1997)
- The Copper Treasure (1998)
- Bloodtide (1999)
- Old Bag (1999)
- The Birdman (2000)
- The Ghost Behind the Wall (2000)
- Billy Elliot (novelisation, 2001)
- Lady: My Life as a Bitch (2001)
- Doing It (2003)
- Robbers on the Road (2003)
- Sara's Face (2006)
- Bloodsong (2007)
- Nicholas Dane (2009)
- Kill All Enemies (2011)
- The Hit (2013)
- mays angel (2019)
- Loki (2022)
Adaptations
- Doing It → US television series 'Life as We Know It'
- Billy Elliot → Novelisation of the film (2001)
- The Well → BBC television series (contributed)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Use of multiple perspectives (polyphony) in many novelsRealist depiction and candid treatment of youth issues
- Recurring Motifs
- Youth alienationDrug addictionFamily relationshipsSocial marginalization
Legacy
Melvin Burgess is one of the prominent British YA writers since the 1990s. His novel 'Junk' handled sensational subject matter while earning major awards such as the Carnegie Medal. His candid portrayals of youth realities have been both controversial and influential.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
In Popular Culture
- 'Junk' significantly influenced 1990s YA literature and is frequently discussed in debates and educational contexts.
Trivia
- 'Junk' won the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1996.
- 'Doing It' (2003) provoked controversy for its handling of underage sex and was adapted for U.S. television.
- Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.