Unheard Voices

The greatest strength of the anthology lies in its careful and effective juxtapositioning of punchy, thought provoking contemporary narratives with the articulate, measured eloquence of those who lived through the ordeal * Guardian *This excellent collection of stories, poems and first-hand accounts is published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Slave Trade Act * Carousel *Unheard Voices deserves to be in every school in the country – Enid Stephenson * Carousel *A riveting collection of stories, poems and first hand recollections on the theme of slavery that not only remembers and commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, but also celebrates the work of some of the finest black writers – Michela Horsfield * Daily Echo *If you think that marking this bicentenary is slightly unnecessary and a bit of a fuss about nothing, Unheard Voices a collection of writings put together by award-winning children’s author Malorie Blackman, about what it meant to be a slave, will change your mind * Newbury Weekly News *

Malorie Blackman has written over seventy books for children and young adults, including the Noughts & Crosses series, Thief and a science-fiction thriller, Chasing the Stars. Many of her books have also been adapted for stage and television, including a BAFTA-award-winning BBC production of Pig-Heart Boy and a Pilot Theatre stage adaptation by Sabrina Mahfouz of Noughts & Crosses. There is also a major BBC production of Noughts & Crosses, with Roc Nation (Jay-Z’s entertainment company) curating the soundtrack as executive music producer. In 2005 Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children’s books. In 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature, and between 2013 and 2015 she was the Children’s Laureate. Most recently Malorie wrote for the Doctor Who series on BBC One, and the fifth novel in her Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, was published by Penguin Random House Children’s in summer 2019.