Manjeet Mann is an actress and writer. Her novel ''The Crossing'' won the 2022

Costa Book Award for Children's Book The Costa Book Award for Children's Book, formerly known as the Whitbread Award (1971–2005), was an annual literary award for children's books, part of the Costa Book Awards The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recogni ...

Early life

Mann grew up in a working class family in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...

. She studied performing arts at

Coventry University Coventry University is a Public university, public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the Coventry School of Art and Design, Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lancheste ...

Career

Mann started her career as an actress before turning her hand to writing. Mann's first novel, ''Run Rebel'', was released in 2020 and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and received the Shadowers’ Choice Award for Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award for Ages 11–14+; it was shortlisted for and won several other awards. She later adapted the novel into a play, directed by Tessa Walker and produced by Pilot Theatre

The play was nominated for two Off West End Theatre Awards in 2025, for best production, which it won, and Creation for Mann. Her second novel, ''The Crossing'', was published in 2021. It won the 2021

and was shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Carnegie Medal. Mann later published two children's picture books. The first, ''Small's Big Dream'', illustrated by Amanda Quartey, was published in 2022, and the second, ''Whirly Twirly Me'', also illustrated by Amanda Quartey, was published in summer 2023.

Personal life

Mann lives in Edinburgh with her partner Joseph Coelho.

Awards and honours

Children's picture books

* ''Small's Big Dream'', illustrated by Amanda Quartey (2022) * ''Whirly Twirly Me'', illustrated by Amanda Quartey (2023)

Young adult novels

* ''Run, Rebel'' (2020) * ''The Crossing'' (2021)

References

External links

Run the World official site

YA Book Prize shortlist: Manjeet Mann talks about The Crossing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Manjeet Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century English women writers Alumni of Coventry University British Asian writers Costa Book Award winners People from Walsall Writers from the West Midlands (county)