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Melvin Burgess

Melvin Burgess Biography

Writer

Melvin Burgess is a British writer known for his young adult literature. His works often explore social issues such as juvenile delinquency, family relationships, and gender identity. Burgess' works are praised for their authenticity and profound social insight.

Melvin Burgess is a British writer known for his young adult literature. His works often explore social issues such as juvenile delinquency, family relationships, and gender identity. Burgess' works are praised for their authenticity and profound social insight.

Related Quotes

“And then I noticed the dandelions.”

Inspirational Life

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“You can do anything you want. You don't believe me. You think, she's out of her head. Yeah, I'm out of my head- on being me. What are you on? On being them. You don't even know. I bet you were never given a chance to know. ....Listen. You can be anything you want to be. Be careful. It's a spell. It's magic. Listen to the words.... You are anything...everyone, anyone. ...You listen to them, teachers, parents, politicians. They're always saying, if you steal you're a thief, if you sleep aroung you're a slut, if you take drugs you're a junkie. They want to get inside your head and control you with their fear. ...Don't play their game. Nothing can touch you; you stay beautiful.”

Freedom Liberation Anarchy Self Determination Self Empowerment

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“It's mind control, see. You have to go to school, get those exams, get to university or college, get a job, get married, don't miss the boat, do it now or you'll shoot your life down the drain. Yeah. They got you as soon as you were born. They never risked a second of your life. When you have kids they'll be telling them they have to wear a plastic mask and put a penny in the slot about their nose before they can breathe in.”

Mind Kids School Jobs Born Missing College Married Yeah University Breathe Boat Noses Mask Plastic Pennies Drains Mind Control Exam

Author:Melvin Burgess

“Sometimes maybe you need an experience. The experience can be a person or it can be a drug. The experience opens a door that was there all the time but you never saw it. Or maybe it blasts you into outer space...All that negative stuff. All the pain...It just floted away from me, I just floated away from it...up and away.”

Needs Persons Sometimes Pain Stuff Space Saws Doors Drug Negative Blast Outer Space

Author:Melvin Burgess

“It wasn't a love story." -Tar's dad It was a love story. Me, Gemma, and junk." -Tar”

Stories Dad Love Story Junk

Author:Melvin Burgess

“She wrote, 'Dandelion, I love you.' And I thought that was magic. It's not in you, it's between you. It's bigger and stronger than you are”

Magic Love You Bigger Stronger Dandelions Dandelion Seeds

Author:Melvin Burgess

“Try it. You don't have to do it ever again if you don't want to. But try it once. Try everything once.”

Ifs Want Trying Smack

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“The only thing that isn't free is you. You do as you're told. You sit in your seat until they say 'Stand'. You stay put til they say 'Go'. Maybe that's the way you like it. It's easy. It's all there. You don't have to think about. You don't even have to feel it.”

Thinking Way Feels Easy Seats You Like It

Book:Junk

Source: Junk

“Anarchy loves theatre. That's the whole point. People forget that. You have to laugh at the devil, not fight him. They'll always have more guns, they'll always have more bombs that go off with a bigger bang. No matter how revolting you become they'll always be willing to be more revolting to you. They've had so much more practice.”

People Matter Whole Fighting Forget Practice Laughing Willing Gun Devil Bigger Theatre Bombs Anarchy Bangs

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“Love is a secret society, a community for two.”

Two Community Love Is Secret Secret Society

Author:Melvin Burgess

“He'd come back, all open and helpless, and I suppose that's what won her around in the end. But it was so sad, because it was being himself that he found so difficult to cope with.”

Ends Found Difficult Helpless So Sad

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“That's her secret, I suppose. Everything that happens to her she's proud of. She makes it special by it happening to her.”

Happens Secret Special Proud Happenings

Book:Junk

Source: Junk

“The magic girl licked the wet off her arms and looked over to me as if to say, See? You don't have to behave like them, you don't have to behave like anyone.”

Ifs Girl Magic Arms Behave Wet

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“She didn't have to be offered anything; it was already hers. She was more herself than anyone else ever was and as soon as I clapped eyes on her I knew I wanted to be myself just as much as she was herself.”

Book:Junk: Adapted for the Stage

Source: Junk: Adapted for the Stage

“I've done everything. All of it. You think it, I've done it. All the things you never dared, all the things you dream about, all the things you were curious about and then forgot because you knew you never would. I did 'em, I did 'em yesterday while you were still in bed. What about you? When's it gonna be your turn?”

Thinking Stills Done Dream Turns Drug Bed Yesterday Curious Ems Drug Addiction Smack

Book:Smack

Source: Smack

“Being a teenager is as difficult as living with one. And we've all been there. Perhaps that's the reason we're so hard on them.”

Hard Reason Difficult Teenager Being A Teenager

Author:Melvin Burgess

“I get up between 6:30 and 8 am. I used to make a cup of coffee first thing, but now I have warm water with a bit of lemon juice in it. I've cut down on things as I was getting fat.”

Firsts Used Bits Water Cutting Warm Coffee Fats Get Up Cups Juice Lemons Coffee Cup Lemon Juice

Author:Melvin Burgess

“I read all the time so it's difficult to say who my all-time favourites are. One is George Orwell, because he makes political writing so simple a child could understand it.”

Writing Children Political Difficult Simple All Time Political Writing

Author:Melvin Burgess

“In terms of sheer writing I might have done most of my work by 11. If you get up at 6:30 or 7 you can get a huge amount done by 11 and have the rest of the day off if you want to, though I have to check my accumulating e-mails. No one ever sends me horrible e-mails. Although some of my books are supposed to be hated, no one ever tells me.”

Ifs Want Writing Book Done Might Term Huge Amount Checks Horrible Get Up Supposed To Be Hated Mail Sheer Days Off

Author:Melvin Burgess

“When I was a child I used to read books by Gerald Durrell, who founded Jersey Zoo. He had a job collecting animals for zoos and for a long time that is what I wanted to do. Later when I was a teenager I had a fantastic English teacher called Mrs. Stafford. Her enthusiasm made me decide to be a writer.”

Children Long Made Book Wanted Jobs Used Animal Teacher Long Time Enthusiasm Fantastic Teenager Jersey Collecting Zoos English Teacher

Author:Melvin Burgess

About the Author

Born: April 25, 1954
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 20

Related Topics

Difficult Ifs Anarchy Bigger Book Children Done Drug Get Up Jobs

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

SmackRelated source material

JunkRelated source material

Junk: Adapted for the StageRelated source material

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