Malorie Blackman's last novel Noughts and Crosses won the Children's Book Award, and also made her the only black writer voted into the top 100 in the BBC's Big Read.
Previously known for writing books where the characters' race was incidental to the plots, Noughts and Crosses brought racism to the very centre of the story. It was the first volume of a trilogy; the second, Knife Edge, will be published this Thursday. Jenni talks to Malorie Blackman about her uncompromising treatment of difficult issues, and how far her writing is based on her own experiences. Noughts and Crosses is published by Corgi Children's books, ISBN 0552546321. Knife Edge is published by Doubleday, ISBN 0385605277 from 5 February
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