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Lisa Williamson (writer)

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Lisa Williamson
Born (1980-02-05) 5 February 1980 (age 44)
Nottingham, England
Other namesLisa Cassidy
Alma materMiddlesex University
Years active2014–present
Websitewww.lisawilliamsonauthor.com

Lisa Williamson (born 5 February 1980) is an English author and former actress. Her debut novel The Art of Being Normal won a 2016 Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Fiction. Her work has been shortlisted for two YA Book Prizes.

Early life

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Williamson was born in Nottingham and grew up nearby in Arnold.[1] She graduated with a degree in Drama from Middlesex University.[2]

Career

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Williamson began her career as an actress under the stage name Lisa Cassidy, appearing in a number of pantomimes and the 2014 John Lewis Christmas advert. Between acting gigs, Williamson worked temp jobs. One of these jobs in gender identity services for young people from 2010 to 2012, in which she audio-typed therapy session notes.[3] This experience inspired Williamson's debut young adult novel The Art of Being Normal, told from the perspective of a transgender teenager. Published in 2015 via David Fickling Books and praised for its exploration of the topic, The Art of Being Normal became a Sunday Times bestseller and won the 2016 Waterstones Children's Book Prize in the Older Fiction category.[4] It also won a Leeds Book Award in the 14–16 category[5] and was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and the YA Book Prize.[6][7]

This was followed by Williamson's second novel All About Mia in 2017, which explores sibling dynamics,[8] and her third novel Paper Avalanche, which subverts the messy teenager stereotype with a hoarder mother and neat daughter, in 2019,[9] both published by David Fickling Books. The latter was longlisted for the 2020 Carnegie Medal[10] and named children's book of the week in The Sunday Times at the start of 2020 by Nicolette Jones.[11] In addition, Williamson collaborated on the 2018 novel Floored with Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, and Eleanor Wood.[12]

Williamson reunited with David Fickling Books once again for the publication of her fourth novel First Day of My Life, which Jones of The Sunday Times once named again children's book of the week in January 2021.[13] She first came up with the idea for the novel in 2016 before rewriting it in 2019.[14] First Day of My Life was shortlisted for the 2022 YA Book Prize.[15][16]

In 2023, Williamson moved into middle grade fiction with the Bigg School series, acquired by Guppy Books, starting with Best Friends Forever. She wrote the series for her 11-year-old self, who struggled as she made the move from primary school to secondary school due to a lack of confidence.[17][18] The subsequent books in the series Double Drama and Secret Crush were published in 2024.[19][20]

Bibliography

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Young adult

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  • The Art of Being Normal (2015)
  • All About Mia (2017)
  • Floored (2018) (co-written with six other authors)
  • Paper Avalanche (2019)
  • First Day of My Life (2021)

Middle grade

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Bigg School

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  • Best Friends Forever (2023)
  • Double Drama (2024)
  • Secret Crush (2024)
  • Scaredy Cat (2025)

Biographies

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  • First Names: Malala Yousafzai (2020)
  • First Names: Dwayne ('The Rock' Johnson) (2022)
  • The Mysterious Life of Dr Barry: A Surgeon Unlike Any Other (2024)

Short stories

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  • "Routes and Wings" in I'll Be Home for Christmas (2016)

Accolades

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Year Award Category Title Result Ref
2016 Waterstones Children's Book Prize Older Fiction The Art of Being Normal Won [4]
Leeds Book Awards 14–16 Won [5]
YA Book Prize Shortlisted [7]
Branford Boase Award Shortlisted [6]
2020 Carnegie Medal Paper Avalanche Longlisted [10]
2022 YA Book Prize First Day of My Life Shortlisted [16]

References

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  1. ^ "Learn TEN facts about Lisa Williamson! New series Bigg School is published this Thursday". Guppy Books. October 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  2. ^ Attwood, Helen (5 February 2020). "Well-known author Lisa Williamson pops into Windsor High". Halesowen News. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  3. ^ ReluctantWriter; Scrupulous Semicolons (22 January 2016). "Lisa Williamson: 'I have met so many young transgender people living happy, hopeful lives'". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b "David Solomons wins Waterstones Children's Book Prize with debut". BBC News. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  5. ^ a b Dickinson, Colin (2 June 2016). "School children's favourite authors celebrated in Leeds Book Awards". Leeds City Council. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b Chilton, Martin (2016-05-04). "Branford Boase Award 2016 shortlist announced". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  7. ^ a b "YA book prize 2016 shortlist - in pictures". The Guardian. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  8. ^ "[Book Review] All About Mia by Lisa Williamson". Stitch's Media Mix. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  9. ^ Millen, John (2 December 2019). "'Paper Avalanche' book review: Lisa Williamson's latest novel is so good you won't be able to put it down". YP. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  10. ^ a b Flood, Alison (20 February 2020). "Carnegie Medal longlist gives classics a fresh spin". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  11. ^ Jones, Nicolette (5 January 2020). "Children's book of the week: Paper Avalanche by Lisa Williamson review". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  12. ^ Charlotte (12 August 2018). "Floored – Book Review". Wonderfully Bookish. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  13. ^ Jones, Nicolette (3 January 2021). "Children's book of the week: First Day of My Life by Lisa Williamson". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  14. ^ Noble, Fiona (17 April 2020). "Lisa Williamson talks about friendship, crafting voice and her joy writing YA". The Bookseller. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  15. ^ Tacye (20 July 2022). "Lisa Williamson opens up about difficult conversations in First Day of My Life". United by Pop. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b Carpenter, Caroline (10 August 2022). "YA Book Prize shortlist: Lisa Williamson talks about First Day Of My Life". The Bookseller. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Lisa Williamson Visit". Carr Hill High School. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  18. ^ Bradley, Jess (October 2023). "Lisa Williamson - Bigg School: Best Friends Forever". ReadingZone. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. ^ Tyson, Sarah (4 May 2024). "Kid's Book Review: Bigg School – Double Drama". Books Up North. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  20. ^ Wood, Tracy (21 September 2024). "Bigg School: Secret Crush by Lisa Williamson". School Reading List. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
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