8 June 2015
Malorie Blackman has urged the next children's laureate to speak their mind, despite describing her "surprise" at the "vitriolic reaction" she had received to some of her own campaigns.
Blackman is coming to the end of her two-year stint in the role and the new laureate will be announced next week.
Writing in the Telegraph, Blackman said she received racist abuse after a news outlet misquoted her thoughts on the lack of diversity in children's publishing.