Simon.James Green author page

Simon James Green biography

Simon James Green is a British author and screenwriter, acclaimed for his contributions to children’s and young adult literature, particularly within the LGBTQ+ genre. Born in Nottingham and raised in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, he pursued a degree in Law at Queens’ College, Cambridge. Transitioning from law, Green embarked on a career in the arts, working as a trainee director at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington and later directing various West End productions and UK tours, including The Rocky Horror Show and West Side Story. He also directed episodes of the television series Hollyoaks and co-wrote the BBC2 romantic comedy Rules of Love.

Green’s debut young adult novel, Noah Can’t Even (2017), garnered attention for its humorous portrayal of a gay teenager navigating adolescence. The novel was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award and recognised by WHSmith as one of the most important LGBT books of the last 50 years. Its sequel, Noah Could Never, followed in 2018. Subsequent YA novels include Alex in Wonderland (2019), nominated for the Carnegie Medal and featured in The Guardian’s Top 100 Holiday Reads; Heartbreak Boys (2020); You’re the One That I Want (2021), which won the Bristol Teen Book Award; Gay Club! (2022), nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal; and Boy Like Me (2023), also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

Expanding into middle-grade fiction, Green authored Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck (2020), shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award; Sleepover Takeover (2022), winner of the InspiRead Award; and Finn Jones Was Here (2023), longlisted for the UK Literacy Association Book Awards. In 2024, he collaborated with Olympic diver Tom Daley on the middle-grade novel Jack Splash.

Green has also written picture books, including Llama Glamarama (2020) and Fabulous Frankie (2021), both illustrated by Garry Parsons. His works are celebrated for their humour, inclusivity, and exploration of identity, resonating with readers across various age groups.

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