Marilyn Malin was a British

literary agent A literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers, film producers, and film studios, and assists in sale and deal negotiation. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwr ...

, an editor and a publisher; she was the managing director of Methuen Children's Books.

Early life and education

Marilyn's parents were Irene (née Littenberg) and Albert Malin; she was

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, and born and brought up in

Golders Green Golders Green is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, northwest of Charing Cross. It began as a medieval small suburban linear settlement near a farm and public grazing area green, and dates to the early 19th century. It ...

, London. She had at least one sister. Marilyn attended

North London Collegiate School North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is a private day school for girls in England. Founded in Camden Town, it is now located in Edgware, in the London Borough of Harrow. Associate schools are located in South Korea, Jeju Island, Dubai, Vietnam ...

. She was awarded a state scholarship, which she took up at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

Career

Malin got a job as a secretary at the publishers

Blackie and Son Blackie & Son was a publishing house in Glasgow, Scotland, and London, England, from 1809 to 1991.Iain Stevenson, ''Book Makers: British Publishing in the Twentieth Century''. London: The British Library, 2010, p. 77. History The firm was foun ...

in the 1950s. In the 1960s she joined Methuen Children's Books, first as an assistant to Olive Jones. She became assistant children's books editor in 1965, and, towards the end of the 1960s, managing director. With Charles Shirley, she "create the separate entity of Methuen Children's Books. It was an outward-looking company whose sense of identity was enhanced by bright design, a keen marketing drive, and a strong European flavour". Malin was described as one of the "eminent editorial directors of her time". Her acceptance, in 1966 with Olive Jones, of ''The River Kings'' by

Max Fatchen Maxwell Edgar Fatchen, AM (3 August 192014 October 2012) was an Australian children's writer and journalist. Early life Fatchen was born at "Narma" private hospital, South Terrace, Adelaide, the only son of Cecil William Fatchen and Isabe ...

, has been described as the result of "a culture of calculated risk". In the 1980s, Malin left Methuen to become a

. Malin was the UK editor for

Astrid Lindgren Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (; ; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Emil of Lönneberga, ...

, and for Ivan Southall. She was editor for Rosemary Manning, and wrote about her for the journal '' Bookbird''. She published

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as '' War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelli ...

's ''

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'', and books by

Floella Benjamin Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin (born 23 September 1949), is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as ''Play School (British TV series), ...

John Agard John Agard FRSL (born 21 June 1949) is a Guyanese-born British playwright, poet and children's writer. In 2012, he was selected for the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.

and James Berry. She worked with

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on his children's book ''Small Harry''. Malin was the agent for

Kjartan Poskitt Kjartan Poskitt (born 15 May 1956 in York) is a British writer and TV presenter who is best known for writing the ''Murderous Maths'' children's series of books. Early life and education Poskitt was born in York, England, grew up in Selby, Yor ...

, She was a mentor to the illustrator Jane Pinkney. Malin commissioned a book written by

Alison Prince Alison Prince (26 March 1931 – 12 October 2019) was a British children's writer, screenwriter and biographer, who settled on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Her novels for young people won several awards. She was the scriptwriter of the much re ...

with 21 primary school children. In 1986 Malin started her own publishing imprint, Marilyn Malin Books, in partnership with

André Deutsch André Deutsch (15 November 1917 – 11 April 2000) was a Hungarian-born British publisher who founded an eponymous publishing company in 1951. Biography Deutsch was born on 15 November 1917 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of a Jewish dentist ...

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

Publications

References

See also