Malorie Blackman on Noughts & Crosses at 25: 'It's Even More Relevant Today'
Malorie Blackman, one of Britain's most significant writers of the past quarter-century, laughs awkwardly as she shifts in a plum-coloured jacket during a photoshoot on a gloomy February evening in west London. Despite her status as a literary rockstar for generations raised on her books, she admits, 'I hate being in front of the camera!' This year marks the 25th anniversary of her most famous work, Noughts & Crosses, a young adult phenomenon that has sold millions and become a staple in UK schools.
The Genesis of a Groundbreaking Novel
Noughts & Crosses, Blackman's 50th book, was her first to tackle racism head-on. Set in an alternative Britain called Albion, colonised by Africa, it inverts societal roles: Black citizens (Crosses) hold power, while white citizens (Noughts) face segregation and structural disadvantage. Blackman wrote it in the 1990s, inspired by anger over events like the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the Macpherson report's findings on institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police. 'I sat down at my computer really angry,' she recalls. 'It was my way of channelling that anger.'
Even before writing, she faced resistance. 'People were telling me, 'Oh, no one wants to read about racism.'' Her mother's reaction upon reading a proof was telling: she asked if a protagonist was white, then decided to restart the book. 'That's exactly what I wanted,' Blackman says, highlighting the novel's intent to challenge perspectives.
From Humble Beginnings to Literary Stardom
Born in 1962 in south London to Barbadian immigrants, Blackman's childhood was marked by stability until age 13, when her father left, leading to homelessness. She found solace in libraries, where books became her escape. However, she didn't read a work by a Black author until age 21, Alice Walker's The Color Purple. 'That's a hell of an age to get to without reading anything written by someone who looks like you,' she notes.
After a career in computing, diagnosed with sickle cell disease and told she might not live past 30, Blackman pursued writing. She faced 82 rejections before her first book, Not So Stupid!, was published in 1990. Friends and family warned, 'they don't publish Black writers in this country,' but she persisted, driven by the lack of Black protagonists in children's literature.
Impact and Cultural Resonance
Noughts & Crosses quickly became a cultural touchstone, appearing in the BBC's Big Read poll, adapted for stage and TV, and inspiring artists like Stormzy and Tinie Tempah, who reference her in songs. Stormzy even wrote the foreword for the 25th-anniversary edition, praising its gripping narrative. Blackman reflects, 'The world just kept giving me material,' as real-world events like Brexit and the pandemic mirrored Albion's struggles.
Despite success, she faced backlash as children's laureate in 2013 when advocating for diversity, receiving death threats. 'It was horrible, really frightening,' she says, but support from the community bolstered her. Recent years have seen a surge in interest in diverse books post-George Floyd, but Blackman cautions, 'Some of the noise from the industry was definitely performative.' Reports show a decline in children's titles with Black protagonists, underscoring ongoing challenges.
Ongoing Relevance and Future Outlook
Blackman believes Noughts & Crosses is even more relevant today, citing rising culture wars and book bans targeting works by people of colour and LGBTQ+ authors. 'A lot of the time, what starts over there often ends up coming over here,' she warns, referring to trends in the US impacting the UK.
With over 70 books, including Pig-Heart Boy and a memoir, Just Sayin', Blackman continues to write and explore new skills like jewellery-making. An ambassador for the UK's National Year of Reading, she champions books' power to build empathy. 'Reading changes lives,' she asserts. 'And if you can't find the book you want, do what I did: write it.'
The 25th-anniversary edition of Noughts & Crosses, with Stormzy's foreword, is published by Penguin, cementing its legacy as a transformative work in YA literature.
