Katya Balen
Born1989 (age 34–35)
London, England
GenreChildren's literature
Notable works
Notable awardsCarnegie Medal (2022)

Katya Balen (born 1989) is a British author of children's literature. Her works include The Space We're In (2019), The Light in Everything (2022), and The Thames and Tide Club (2023). Her 2020 novel October, October won the 2022 Carnegie Medal.[1][2]

Biography

Balen was born 1989 in London.[3]

She studied English at university,[4] and for her Master's thesis, she explored "the effects texts have on the behavior of autistic children."[3] Aside from writing, Balen co-founded Mainspring Arts, "a charity that uses creativity to work with autistic people."[3]

Critical reception

The Space We're In

In a review of The Space We're In, Publishers Weekly writes, "Balen, who has worked with autistic people in various settings, sensitively depicts the experience of love, and of loving a neurodiverse family member."[5] Kirkus Reviews describes The Space We're In as "The mysteries of the universe, the complexities of life, and a protagonist readers will fall in love with."[6]

Jill Baetiong recommends the book "for libraries with a strong interest in realistic fiction" in a review for School Library Journal and writes, "While this depiction of a boy with an autistic brother is evocative, some readers may be tired of another novel that views an autistic character through the perspective of a put-upon neurotypical sibling."[7] In a review for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Quinita Balderson describes the book as "a gut-wrenching story of loss, but through Frank's growing bond with Max it's also one of gain, and readers will be deeply moved."[8]

A review by Stitch Byrne in The Week notes "Balen has added to Frank's compelling voice the attractions of short chapters, each beginning with a coded message, and anything-but-childish illustrations to create the perfect book to appeal to readers who may hitherto have been put off by weightier and less heartrending (and heartwarming) novels."[9]

October, October

October, October was named one of the 50 best children's books of the year by the Irish Independent in 2021 and described as a "modern classic in the making about a girl who lives in the wild with her dad."[10] The book was also named a Children's Book of the Week by The Times in September 2020.[11] A review by Clare Morpurgo in The School Librarian describes the book as "a rich gift, to be read slowly and enjoyed for as long as possible."[12]

The Light in Everything

A review by Emily Bearn in The Telegraph of The Light in Everything states, "One of the challenges in children’s fiction is making difficult subjects palatable, without rendering them bland. Balen triumphs: what unfolds here is a deceptively complex story, in which she explores themes of grief and abandonment through the unfiltered voices of two children on the cusp of adolescence."[13] Carolyn Boyd writes in a review for The School Librarian, "Although the plot is about a blended family, the true centre is people learning to deal with their feelings. Balen's wise, supportive text guides both the characters and the reader through the storms to a safe haven."[14]

A review in The Irish Times states, "The prose is beautiful, the tension blistering: The Light in Everything is a highly recommended read for mature children aged 10+, as well as their adults."[15] In the Irish Independent, Sarah Webb describes October, October as "one of the most extraordinary, immersive children's books I've ever read" and writes, "The Light in Everything is all set to be another lifelong favourite. [...] Her characters are so well drawn you don't read their story, you live it."[16]

The Thames and Tide Club

Emily Bearn also reviewed The Thames and Tide Club for The Telegraph, writing, "There is a gentle, but never overbearing, moral about protecting the environment; and the combination of short, suspenseful chapters and engaging illustrations by Rachael Dean make this a book that even the less confident readers are likely to enjoy."[17] The book was named a Children's Book of the Week by The Times in April 2023,[18] and described in a review by Ruth Concannon for the Irish Examiner as a "quirky tale that will be particularly enjoyed by anyone who appreciates a good, fish-themed pun."[19]

Awards and honours

The Space We're In is a Junior Library Guild book.[20]

Awards for Balen's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2020 The Space We're In Branford Boase Award Shortlist [21][22]
2020 The Space We're In Carnegie Medal Longlist [23]
2022 October, October Carnegie Medal Winner [2][24]
2022 October, October Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation Highly commended [25][26]
2023 The Light in Everything Carnegie Medal Shortlist [27][28]

Publications

  • The Space We're In, illustrated by Laura Carlin (2019)
  • October, October, illustrated by Angela Harding (2020)
  • Maggie and the Moonbird (2021)[29]
  • Birdsong, illustrated by Richard Johnson (2022)
  • The Light in Everything (2022)
  • Nightjar, illustrated by Richard Johnson (2023)
  • The Thames and Tide Club: The Secret City, illustrated by Rachael Dean (2023)

References

  1. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (16 June 2022). "Danica Novgorodoff wins Kate Greenaway medal for graphic novel Long Way Down". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Balen, Novgorodoff win Carnegie, Greenaway medals". Books+Publishing. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview Katya Balen". British Council Germany. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  4. ↑ Court, Joy. "Saved by stories: an interview with 2022 Carnegie Medal winner Katya Balen". Books for Keeps. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Space We're In by Katya Balen". Publishers Weekly. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "THE SPACE WE'RE IN". Kirkus Reviews. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Baetiong, Jill (October 2019). "The Space We're In". School Library Journal. 65 (9) – via Education Research Complete.
  8. ↑ Balderson, Quinita (November 2019). "The Space We're In by Katya Balen (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 73 (3): 109. doi:10.1353/bcc.2019.0730. S2CID 208625756 – via Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson).
  9. ↑ Byrne, Stitch (4 September 2021). "Inspiring young readers". The Week (1347). ProQuest 2571147303
  10. ↑ "50 BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR". Irish Independent. 18 December 2021. ProQuest 2611048123
  11. ↑ O’Connell, Alex (12 September 2020). "October, October by Katya Balen review — a future wild classic". The Times. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Morpurgo, Clare (Spring 2021). "October, October". The School Librarian. 69 (1): 46. ProQuest 2507263891
  13. ↑ Bearn, Emily (26 January 2023). "The Light in Everything, review: Katya Balen skilfully handles hard-hitting issues for young readers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  14. ↑ Boyd, Carolyn (Summer 2022). "The Light in Everything". The School Librarian. 70 (2): 46. ProQuest 2681537096
  15. ↑ "A car journey out of this world". The Irish Times. 17 December 2022. ProQuest 2754989781
  16. ↑ Webb, Sarah (26 March 2022). "CRACKING READS FOR KIDS THIS EASTER AND BEYOND". Irish Independent. ProQuest 2643172215
  17. ↑ Bearn, Emily (11 May 2023). "An eccentric tale of mudlarks, mad porpoises – and Buckingham Palace being drowned". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Bannerman, Lucy (22 April 2023). "The Thames and Tide Club by Katya Balen review — dive in to a magical underwater London". The Times. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  19. ↑ Concannon, Ruth (19 May 2023). "Sunshine on the bookshelf: The best books for children and teens this month". Irish Examiner. ProQuest 2815639232
  20. ↑ "The Space We're In by Katya Balen". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Shortlist 2020 – The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition". Branford Boase Award. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  22. ↑ "Awards: Branford Boase Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "Longlists Announced for 202 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals". The Yoto Carnegies. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  24. ↑ "Awards: YOTO Carnegie, Kate Greenaway Winners; Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 17 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  25. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (7 September 2022). "Wainwright nature writing prize goes to 'inspirational' Goshawk Summer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  26. ↑ "Awards: Wainwright Nature Writing Winners". Shelf Awareness. 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Shortlist 2023". The Yoto Carnegies. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  28. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (17 March 2023). "Carnegie medal for writing announces all-female shortlist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  29. ↑ Routh, Chris (Spring 2022). "Maggie and the Moonbird". The School Librarian. 70 (1): 44. ProQuest 2640408644
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