Berlie Doherty

Berlie Doherty, born in Liverpool in 1943, is an accomplished English author recognized for her extensive work in children's literature, for which she has twice received the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Her career began with early publications in local newspapers, nurtured by her father, a writer himself. After pursuing studies in English and social sciences, and working as a social worker and teacher, Doherty transitioned to full-time writing. She has penned over sixty books for young readers, often delving into contemporary social issues like teenage pregnancy, adoption, and the impact of global crises such as AIDS. Her writing is characterized by emotional honesty and a strong sense of place, frequently drawing inspiration from the Derbyshire Peak District where she resides. Beyond novels, Doherty has also written poetry, plays for radio and theatre, screenplays, and libretti for children's operas, demonstrating a versatile creative output.

Born in Liverpool in 1943, Berlie Doherty was the youngest of three children. Her early childhood was marked by the loss of all four grandparents before her birth, an experience she later described as a significant deprivation. Moving to Hoylake at the age of four, a setting that would feature in some of her later works, Doherty was actively encouraged to write by her father. He was a railway clerk and published poet who instilled in her a love for storytelling, often creating bedtime stories together. From the age of five, her poems and stories began appearing in local newspapers. Doherty attended Upton Hall Convent School before pursuing higher education, studying English at the University of Durham and social science at the University of Liverpool. She later obtained a postgraduate certificate in education from the University of Sheffield, which included a creative writing course that led to her first adult novel, 'Requiem'.

Doherty's professional writing career began in earnest after her children started school, over twenty years after her initial childhood publications. Her first book, 'How Green You Are!', was published in 1982, and she became a full-time writer the following year. Doherty has authored more than sixty books, celebrated for their emotional honesty and exploration of diverse themes. Her works often address social issues, including teenage pregnancy ('Dear Nobody'), adoption ('The Snake-Stone'), and the plight of African AIDS orphans and child trafficking ('Abela: The Girl Who Saw Lions'). As a conservationist, she has written about species extinction ('Tilly Mint and the Dodo') and uses fantasy to explore disability ('Spellhorn'). Several novels are set in historical periods or draw directly from her family history, such as 'Granny Was a Buffer Girl' and 'The Sailing Ship Tree', which she used to re-create her maternal and paternal grandparents. Her writing frequently features a strong sense of place, inspired by landscapes, particularly the Derbyshire Peak District.

Berlie Doherty's versatility extends to various media beyond novels. She has written numerous radio plays, appreciating the medium's capacity for imaginative engagement. Several of her novels have been adapted for television, including 'White Peak Farm' and 'Children of Winter'. She also contributed to children's television programming with the BBC series 'Zzaap and the Word Master'. Furthermore, Doherty has penned libretti for children's operas, such as 'Daughter of the Sea', 'The Magician's Cat', and 'Wild Cat', often focusing on themes of conservation. Some of her works were specifically created to be read alongside live musical performances, including 'The Midnight Man', 'Blue John', and 'The Spell of the Toadman', commissioned by the Lindsay Quartet. Her daughter, Sally, has also set some of these works to music.

“a great deprivation”

“inherited stories”

“I cherished the dream, but it was my father who nourished it. He used to tell me bedtime stories every night, and very often we would make them up together, tossing the ideas backwards and forwards like a bright ball. Then he would drop the ball—'I've had enough now', he would say, '... you can finish that for yourself.'”

“Doherty's strength has always been her emotional honesty.”

“a conviction that children are the experts and I can always learn from them.”