Julie Bertagna (born 1962) is a Scottish author who has written real life and science fiction novels for children and young adults. Her books have been shortlisted for several literature awards, including the Carnegie Medal. Her novel Exodus was the winner of the Lancashire County Library Children's Book of the Year Award.Children's Book of the Year Winner , Lancashire County Library. Retrieved February 2007. Soundtrack, her second novel for young adults, won a Scottish Arts Council Award,Julie Bertagna , Clients, David Higham Associates. Retrieved February 2007. the second highest award ever given to a Scottish children's writer.
Biography Bertagna was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and moved to Glasgow when she was seven years old.
After receiving an MA Hons in English Language and Literature at the University of GlasgowOfficial site, "About Me" section. Retrieved 20 February 2007. she worked as an editor for a small magazine. She then moved into teaching before working as a freelance journalist for various publications.Interview with Julie Retrieved 23 February 2007. She published her first book, The Spark Gap, when she was 25 years old.
She currently writes full-time and lives in the West End of Glasgow with her husband Riccardo and young daughter.
Influences Bertagna's writing often reflects her Scottish background, sometimes being set in the country. An example of this is The Spark Gap, which she wrote specificallyOfficial site, "The story behind the story" section. Retrieved February 2007. to include characters like the children she was teaching in Glasgow.
Other influences of her work include global warming and climate change, being major themes in her novel Exodus, which took the "highly commended" award, the equivalent of second prize, at the first Eco Prize, held by the Friends of the Earth Scotland.Winners of Scotland's First Eco Prize for Creativity Announced , Press Release, Friends of the Earth Scotland. Retrieved February 2007. Her first novel for Young Picador, Exodus, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award and was described by The Guardian as "a miracle of a novel".
Her book The Opposite of Chocolate deals with issues of teenage pregnancy.
Notable works
Bertagna has written books for both children and young adults. Her first book was The Spark Gap. Her most recent book is Zenith, the sequel to Exodus. Both were written for young adults.
Major works The Spark Gap (1996) (publisher: MacMillan Children's Books)Google books: The Spark Gap Retrieved 2019-01-31 Exodus (2002) Exodus Retrieved 2019-01-31 Zenith (2007) Zenith Retrieved 2019-01-31 Aurora (2011) (publisher: Pan Macmillan)Google books: Aurora Retrieved 2019-01-31
Other works The Ice Cream Machine (Macmillan Children's, 1998) Google Books: The Ice Cream Machine Retrieved 2019-01-31 Soundtrack (Pan Macmillan, 1999) Google Books: Soundtrack Retrieved 2019-01-31 Bungee Hero (Barrington Stoke, 1999) Google Books: Bungee Hero Retrieved 2019-01-31 Dolphin Boy (Mammoth, 1999) Google Books: Dolphin Boy Retrieved 2019-01-31 Clumsy Clumps and the Baby Moon (Egmont Books, limited, 1999) Google Books: Clumsy Clumps and the Baby Moon Retrieved 2019-01-31 '"Amphibian City" (1999) (In Phenomenal Future Stories, edited by Tony Bradman) The Opposite of Chocolate (Young Picador, 2003) The Opposite of Chocolate Retrieved 2019-01-31 Ice Cream Machine Totally Fizzbombed (Macmillan Children's, 2004) Ice Cream Machine Totally Fizzbombed Retrieved 2019-01-31
Television series
In January 2004 a television series for children was created based on Bertagna's book The Ice Cream Machine. The programmeOfficial series website , Ice Cream Machine. Retrieved August 2007. was produced in a co-production of Five with SMG and the Gaelic Broadcasting Committee. It was aimed at six- to nine-year-olds and was to be broadcast in English and Gaelic.
References
External links Official site