Rachel Anderson

Rachel Anderson (born 1943) is an English journalist and author best known for her children's books. Her work often features the positive portrayal of characters with learning disabilities, and themes of social injustice and alienation.[1] She was married for 45 years to the writer and translator David Bradby.[2][3] Her mother was the writer Verily Anderson.

For the football agent, see Rachel Anderson (football agent).

Rachel Anderson
Born1943 (age 77–78)
Hampton Court, Surrey
OccupationAuthor and journalist
Known forChildren's books
Spouse(s)David Bradby (m. 1965)
Children4
Parent(s)Verily Anderson and Captain Donald Clive Anderson
RelativesJanie Hampton (sister)
AwardsGuardian Children's Fiction Prize, 1991
Websiterachelanderson.co.uk

For the novel Paper Faces, published by OUP in 1991, Anderson won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a once-in-a-lifetime book award judged by a panel of British children's writers.[4]

Biography

Born in 1943 in Hampton Court, Surrey,[5][6] Rachel Anderson is the second of the five children born to Verily Anderson and Captain Donald Anderson, her siblings including the Janie Hampton and the television producer Eddie Anderson.[7]

Leaving school at the age of 16, Rachel Anderson initially became a journalist, working for BBC Radio, newspapers and women's magazines.[2] For 10 years she was children's book reviews editor for Good Housekeeping.[2][8] Her first book – Pineapple, an adult novel – was published in 1965, in the same week that she and David Bradby were married.[2] She now writes mainly for a young readership.[2]

Her 2011 novel for teenagers, Asylum, was published in the same week as her mother's final book that was being completing at the time of her death the previous year.[9]

Rachel Anderson has four children and "a range of grandchildren"[2] and lives mainly in Cromer, Norfolk.[10][2]

Works

Children's and young adult books
  • Moffatt's Road (1978)
  • Tim Walks (1985)
  • Jessy Runs Away (1988)
  • French Lessons (1988)
  • Tough as Old Boots (1988)
  • The Bus People (1989)
  • Julie and the Queen of Tonga 1990
  • Best Friends (1991)
  • Treasures for Cousin Crystal (1992)
  • The Working Class (1993)
  • Jessy and the Long-short Dress (1993)
  • Black Water (1994)
  • The Doll's House (1995)
  • Princess Jazz and the Angels (1995)
  • Letters from Heaven (1996)
  • Blackthorn, Whitethorn (1997)
  • Carly's Luck (1998)
  • Ollie and the Trainers (1999)
  • The Scavenger's Tale (2000)
  • The War Orphan (2000)
  • The Flight of the Emu (2001)
  • Joe's Story (2001)
  • Paper Faces (2002)
  • The Rattletrap Trip (2003)
  • Hello Peanut! (2003)
  • Hugo and the Long Red Arm (2004)
  • Pizza on Saturday (2004)
  • The Poacher's Son (2006)
  • Warlands (2006)
  • This Strange New Life (2006)
  • Red Moon (2006)
  • Big Ben (2007)
  • Asylum (2011)

The Little Angel Trilogy:

  • Little Angel Comes to Stay (1984)
  • Little Angel, Bonjour (1988)
  • Happy Christmas Little Angel (1991)

Moving Times' Trilogy:

  • Bloom of Youth (1999)
  • Grandmother's Footsteps (1999)
  • Stronger than Mountains (2000)

Adult books
  • Pineapple (Jonathan Cape, 1965)
  • Dream Lovers (1978)
  • For the Love of Sang (1990)

Literary criticism
  • The Purple Heart Throbs, the sub-literature of love (1974)

Translations
  • The Cat's Tale (1985)
  • Renard the Fox (1986) with D. Bradby
  • Wild Goose Chase (1986)
  • Little Lost Fox (1992)

Awards

References
  1. "Rachel Anderson". The Viney Agency. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  2. Biography at Rachel Anderson official website. Archived 18 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Dan Rebellato, "David Bradby obituary", The Guardian, 2 March 2011.
  4. "Guardian children's fiction prize relaunched: Entry details and list of past winners", The Guardian, 12 March 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  5. "Anderson, Rachel", Oxford Reference.
  6. "Anderson, Rachel", International Who's Who of Authors and Writers 2004, p. 16.
  7. Janie Hampton, "Verily Anderson: Writer of humorous, optimistic children's books and memoirs" (obituary), The Independent, 3 August 2010.
  8. "Rachel Anderson", British Council, Literature.
  9. Richard Batson, "Poignant publishing moment for Northrepps author Rachel Anderson", Eastern Daily Press, 13 June 2011.
  10. "Rachel Anderson - Author", LoveReading4Kinds.
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