15 Frank Cottrell-Boyce Facts: You Probably Didn't Know About!
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Renowned for his novels on children's fiction, the Carnegie Medal winner Frank Cottrell-Boyce is also an amazing screenwriter and an occasional actor.
His collaborations with the film director Danny Boyle gave him immense fame. He has written the scripts of several blockbuster films, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and its sequels.
Born in Bootle near Liverpool, Frank Cottrell-Boyce moved to Rainhill, where he pursued his education in St. Bartholomew's Primary School and West Park Grammar School. Reading the Moomins as he grew up stimulated him to develop a great interest in English.
This interest further grew deeper as he started his education in English at Keble College, Oxford University. Cottrell-Boyce earned his doctorate from here, after which his career reached heights of success.
He married his fellow collegemate, Denise Cottrell, with whom he has seven children. His journey from a television critic to British film scriptwriting is extremely inspiring, all of which are discussed in the following sections.
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Awards And Nominations
Cottrell-Boyce received numerous notable awards and was nominated for some major British awards for different categories. His book, 'Millions' was awarded the Book of the Month in 2004 by Germany's Institute for Youth Literature.
'Millions' earned him several other awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 2004. In the same year, he was awarded the Luchs des Jahres and Eule des Monats by Germany. His second novel 'Framed' was nominated for the Guardian Prize, the Whitebread Award, and the Carnegie Medal.
In 2005, he was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and again for the Carnegie Medal. Frank Cottrell-Boyce was awarded the Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award and shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Boyce was nominated for the Carnegie Medal twice in 2005 and 2009 for his outstanding book 'Millions.'
The British Soap opera 'Coronation Street' first earned him the esteemed Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award in 1993. He was nominated for the British Academy Film Award and the Golden Satellite Award in 1999 for Best Motion Picture Screenplay in the British biographical feature film 'Hilary and Jackie', which Anand Tucker directed.
His outstanding screenplay in the films 'The Claim' and 'A Cock and Bull Story' fetched him a nomination for the British Independent Film Award in 2001 and the winner of the Chlotrudis Award in 2007, respectively.
His work in the dystopic science-fiction feature film 'Code 46' was selected as the best screenplay shown in the Spanish Sitges Film Festival in 2004.
The famous war film 'The Railway Man,' directed by Jonathan Teplitzky, received numerous awards for its impeccable screenplay by Cottrell-Boyce. He won the Film Critics Circle of Australian Awards and the Australian Film Institute Award in 2014 and 2015.
Films By Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Cottrell-Boyce collaborated with Michael Winterbottom on the films, 'Butterfly Kiss,' 'The Claim,' 'Welcome to Sarajevo,' 'Code 46', and the popular biographical film of 2002 '24 Hour Party People', which portrayed the life of Tony Wilson, the most successful British record label owner. Their last collaboration was the feature film, 'A Cock and Bull Story' released in 2005.
His film script in 'Revengers Tragedy' directed by Alex Cox and in 'Hilary and Jackie' by the famous London-based film director Anand Tucker received great appreciation from some of the most renowned film critics, including Roger Ebert. He praised Frank Cottrell-Boyce as one of the few modern-day screenwriters with an exceptional inventive mind.
His first work was with the Living Marxism magazine as a television critic. He also wrote numerous British television shows, including the television film 'Coronation Street,' 'Brookside,' 'Forget About Me,' 'The Real Eddie English,' and the remarkable television film 'Captain Star.'
Apart from scriptwriting, Frank Cottrell-Boyce also wrote popular children's books on fiction. 'Millions' was his first novel, followed by 'Framed,' both of which fetched him the honors of Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Prize.'
Millions' was published in 2004 by Macmillan. He was funded to write for the sequels of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' by Ian Fleming.
His book, 'The Astounding Broccoli Boy,' published in 2015, became a huge hit worldwide. For this book and Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth,' which was published in 2016, Cottrell-Boyce was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Along with being a framed television film screenwriter and novelist, Frank Cottrell-Boyce is also known for his occasional acting skills in the British television program, 'University Challenge' and the 'Desert Island Discs.'
Net Worth Of Frank Cottrell-Boyce
The Oxford University alumni and scholar of Liverpool Hope University, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, has a net worth of $2 million. He resides in Liverpool with his family.
He is a renowned children's writer whose books are purchased worldwide. His books on children's fiction, 'Millions,' 'Framed,' 'The Astounding Broccoli boy,' and 'Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth' are some of the most sold books online. His book, 'Millions,' was filmed by the Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, an all-time favorite.
How did Frank Cottrell-Boyce become a writer?
Frank has always been an English enthusiast. He earned his doctorate from Kebble College, Oxford. He was a critics writer for the Living Marxism Magazine in his initial days. Cottrell-Boyce also got the opportunity to work with Michael Winterbottom on several film projects. His outstanding screenplay earned him numerous praises by renowned critics.
His books on children's fiction fetched him many awards and nominations. He was also made the Honorary Doctor of Literature at Edge Hill University in 2013.
Cottrell-Boyce's scriptwriting in numerous British film and television shows made him a popular tv personality.
He gained massive fame as a writer after the launch of his book, 'Millions.'
He then went on to publish other children's books like 'Framed,' 'Cosmic,' 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race,' 'Rollercoasters: The Unforgotten Coat,' 'The Great War: Stories Inspired By,' 'The Great Rocket Robbery,' 'A Love Letter to Europe,' 'The Astounding Broccoli Boy,' and 'Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth,' which are still some of the best-selling books on Amazon, Thriftbooks, and other online book stores.
His writing for the 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony has given him further fame and recognition.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 15 Frank Cottrell-Boyce Facts: You Probably Didn't Know About! then why not take a look at Annie Edson Taylor Facts or Aaron Rodgers facts?
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