Anne Fine (born 7 December 1947) is an English writer. She is best known for writing children's books, although she also writes for adults. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and she was appointed an OBE in 2003.

Fine has written more than seventy children's books, including two winners of the annual Carnegie Medal and three highly commended runners-up.

Career

Describing the start of her writing career, Fine has written: "In 1971 my first daughter was born. Unable to get to the library in a snowstorm to change my library books, in desperation I sat down and started to write a novel. Clearly this was the right job for me, for I have never stopped writing for more than a few weeks since". In September 2010, Fine told The Daily Telegraphs Jessica Salter that this first book lay under her bed after being rejected by two publishers, adding "Five years later I unearthed it and entered it in a competition where I was runner-up, and it was finally published in 1978".

that Twentieth Century Fox filmed as Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams. Goggle-Eyes (Hamish Hamilton, 1989) was adapted for television by Deborah Hall for the BBC.

Her books for middle children include Bill's New Frock (Methuen, 1989) and How to Write Really Badly (1996).

Her work has been translated into 45 languages.

Awards and nominations

The biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award conferred by the International Board on Books for Young People is the highest recognition available to a writer or illustrator of children's books. In 1998, Fine was one of five finalists for the writing award. and received the OBE for services to literature in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Awards

  • 1989 Carnegie Medal – Goggle-Eyes

For adults

  • The Killjoy (1986)
  • In Cold Domain (1994)
  • Taking the Devil's Advice (1990)
  • Telling Liddy (1998)
  • All Bones and Lies (2001)
  • Raking the Ashes (2005)
  • Our Precious Lulu (2009)
  • "Walk on Water, Walk on Air", Sunday Times, 18 January 2009 (online edition)

Notes

References

  • "My Home Library" program launch, by Fine as Children's Laureate

;Interviews

  • BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour interview about Raking the Ashes on 11 April 2005.
  • BBC Radio 4 interview about Raking the Ashes on 18 April 2005.
  • Transcript of interview with Ramona Koval, The Book Show, ABC Radio National, 8 September 2008
  • Interview with Anne Fine (Veronika Asks) on 13 November 2010
  • Anne Fine at British Council: Literature: Writers