Manjeet Mann

This article is about the actress and author. For the film producer, see Manjeet Maan.

Manjeet Mann is an actress and writer. ^[1] Her novel The Crossing won the 2022 Costa Book Award for Children's Book.^[2]

Manjeet Mann
Mann in 2022
Occupation	Actress and author
Alma mater	Coventry University
Notable awards	Costa Book Award for Children's Book (2022)
Partner	Joseph Coelho
Website
manjeetmann.com

Early life

Mann grew up in a working class family in Walsall. She studied performing arts at Coventry University.^[3]

Career

Mann started her career as an actress before turning her hand to writing.

Mann's first novel, Run Rebel, was released in 2020 and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and received the Shadowers’ Choice Award for Carnegie Medal^[4] and the UKLA Book Award for Ages 11–14+;^[5] it was shortlisted for and won several other awards. She later adapted the novel into a play, directed by Tessa Walker and produced by Pilot Theatre. The play was nominated for two Off West End Theatre Awards in 2025, for best production, which it won, and Creation for Mann. Her second novel, The Crossing, was published in 2021. It won the 2021 Costa Book Award for Children's Book^[2][6] and was shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Carnegie Medal.

Mann later published two children's picture books. The first, Small's Big Dream, illustrated by Amanda Quartey, was published in 2022, and the second, Whirly Twirly Me, also illustrated by Amanda Quartey, was published in summer 2023.

Personal life

Mann lives in Edinburgh with her partner Joseph Coelho.

Awards and honours

Awards for Mann's writing

Year	Title	Award	Result	Ref.
2021	The Crossing	Costa Book Award for Children's Book	Winner	[2][6]
	Run, Rebel	Branford Boase Award	Shortlist	[7]
		Carnegie Medal	Shortlist	[8][9]
		Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award	Shortlist	[10]
		Shadowers’ Choice Award for Carnegie Medal	Winner	[4]
		UKLA Book Awards: Ages 11–14+	Winner	[5]
		Sheffield Children's Book Awards:YA Category	Winner
		Diverse Book Award YA category	Winner	[11]
2022	The Crossing	Sheffield Children's Book Awards: YA Category	Winner	[12]
		Sheffield Children’s Book Award: Overall	Winner	[12]
		Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award	Shortlist	[7]
		Carnegie Medal	Shortlist	[13][14]
		Jhalak Prize: Children's & YA	Shortlist	[15]
		Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Fiction	Shortlist	[16][17]
		Diverse Book Awards	Shortlist	[18]
		YA Book Prize	Shortlist	[19]
2023		UKLA Book Awards: Ages 11–14+	Winner	[20]
	Small's Big Dream	UKLA Book Awards: Ages 3–6+	Shortlist	[20]
	Small's Big Dream	Diverse Book Awards: Picture Book Category	Shortlist
	Small's Big Dream	Diverse Book Awards: Picture Book Category Readers Choice Award	Winner
2025	Run, Rebel (stage adaptation)	OFFIE's 2025 nomination for Creation OFFIE's 2025 nomination for Production	Finalist Winner

Children's picture books

• Small's Big Dream, illustrated by Amanda Quartey (2022)
• Whirly Twirly Me, illustrated by Amanda Quartey (2023)

Young adult novels

• Run, Rebel (2020)
• The Crossing (2021)