Malorie Blackman is a British writer who held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She primarily writes literature and television drama for children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social and ethical issues. Her critically and popularly acclaimed Noughts and Crosses series uses the setting of a fictional dystopia to explore racism. Her book New Windmills Spring sold out within a week of publishing it. In 2022, Malorie Blackman was chosen as winner of the PEN Pinter Prize, becoming the first writer of children's and Young Adult books to receive the accolade.