Author Kate Atkinson receives MBE at Buckingham Palace (From York Press)

Author Kate Atkinson receives MBE at Buckingham Palace

10:11am Friday 10th February 2012 in News

AN AWARD-WINNING York author said she was “delighted and honoured” after receiving an MBE for writing a series of best-selling books.

Novelist Kate Atkinson collected the gong from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace yesterday after being named in last year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

She said the honour, awarded after more than 15 years as a published writer, was a “great tribute for the arts”.

Kate’s debut, Behind The Scenes At The Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize, beating off competition from a host of famous names in 1995. Her recent work includes stories featuring former detective Jackson Brodie.

“I think it’s a really nice thing for writers to get awards,” said the 60-year-old.

“I didn’t write anything until I failed my PhD, then I started.

“So I was 30 before I wrote a word of fiction and then I was 35 before I was published and that was just magazine stories, so it took a long time.

“I think that’s quite good because you’ve lived a bit, so you’ve got something to write about.”

Kate said she was currently halfway through a new work, a historical drama called Life After Life.