{{Short description|British writer (born 1993)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | birth_name = Benjamin Dean Henry | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1993|11|8}} | birth_place = Peterborough, England | other_names = Ben Henry | alma_mater = Manchester Metropolitan University | occupation = | years_active = 2015–present | website = }} '''Benjamin Dean Henry''' (born 8 November 1993) is an English writer. He began his career as a celebrity reporter for ''BuzzFeed UK'' and has since become an author of children's and young adult fiction.
==Early life== Dean was born in Peterborough, England,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/peterborough-authors-dream-come-true-shortlisted-for-national-waterstones-award-3573525|title=Peterborough author's 'dream come true' shortlisted for national Waterstones award|work=Peterborough Telegraph|first=Rosie|last=Boon|date=17 February 2022|access-date=29 August 2024}}</ref> and raised by a single mother.<ref name="nov 20">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/author-interviews/profile-benjamin-dean-i-did-want-be-able-write-something-i-could-almost-give-my-younger-self-1227677|title=Benjamin Dean: 'I did want to be able to write something that I could almost 'give' to my younger self'|work=The Bookseller|first=Tamsin|last=Hackett|date=27 November 2020|access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> Dean attended Hampton College, Peterborough. He went on to graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2015 with a degree in Creative Writing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mixedmessages.substack.com/p/benjamin-dean-theres-endless-things|title=Benjamin Dean: "There's endless things I can discover about myself"|work=Mixed Messages|first=Isabella|last=Silvers|date=28 March 2022|access-date=29 August 2024}}</ref>
==Career== After graduating from university and under the name Ben Henry, Dean was hired to write for ''BuzzFeed UK''. In 2017, he joined the network's celebrity desk as a reporter and interviewer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.responsesource.com/bulletin/news/ben-henry-joins-the-celebrity-team-at-buzzfeed/|title=Ben Henry joins the celebrity team at BuzzFeed|first=Amy|last=Wilson|date=25 May 2018|access-date=8 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://muckrack.com/ben-henry-1/articles|title=Articles by Ben Henry|work=MuckRack|access-date=8 January 2025}}</ref> He entered a short story competition to be part of Juno Dawson's ''Proud'' anthology. Though his submitted story about a 17-year-old boy named Charlie was not selected, it caught the attention of agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes, who suggested Dean try writing children's fiction.<ref name="nov 20"/>
Dean signed his first two-book deal in 2020 with Simon & Schuster Children's UK, through which he published his debut middle-grade book ''Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow'' in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/ss-pre-empts-lgbtq-middle-grade-debut-1207554|title=S&S pre-empts LGBTQ+ middle-grade debut|work=The Bookseller|first=Ruth|last=Comerford|date=22 June 2020|access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> The novel follows Archie Albright as he comes to terms with his parents' divorce. ''Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow'' won a 2022 Diverse Children's Book Award in the Children's category.<ref name="tb oct 22"/> It was also shortlisted for the 2022 Waterstones Children's Book Prize in the Younger Fiction category.<ref name="bp feb 22"/>
In 2022, Dean published his second middle grade book ''The Secret Sunshine Project''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/benjamin-dean-on-having-every-walk-of-life-represented-in-childrens-books/|title=Exclusive: LGBTQ+ author Benjamin Dean on having "every walk of life" represented in children's books|work=Gay Times|date=31 March 2022|access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/25/childrens-and-teens-roundup-the-best-new-picture-books-and-novels|title=Children's and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels|work=The Guardian|author=Imogen Russell Williams|date=25 March 2022|access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref> and his first young adult (YA) novel ''The King is Dead''. Regarding the latter, Dean had long been "intrigued by the Royal institution... How, through no achievement other than birth, one person or family can be given so much power" and wanted to put a character like himself in those shoes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://culturefly.co.uk/benjamin-dean-on-the-inspiration-behind-his-ya-debut/|title=Benjamin Dean on the inspiration behind his YA debut|work=Culture Fly|first=Benjamin|last=Dean|date=12 July 2022|access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref> ''The King is Dead'' was shortlisted for Books Are My Bag Awards Young Adult Fiction.
Dean's second YA novel ''How to Die Famous'', a thriller inspired by Dean's time as a celebrity reporter, followed in 2023. ''How to Die Famous'' shortlisted for the YA Book Prize<ref name="tb jul 24"/> and the Jhalak Prize.<ref name="jp apr 24"/>
In 2024, Dean published his third middle-grade book ''The Boy Who Fell From the Sky''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/06/childrens-and-teens-roundup-the-best-new-chapter-books-aliya-to-infinite-city-laila-rifaat-paper-dragons-fight-for-hidden-realm-siobhan-mcdermott-bestlands-race-to-frostfall-mountain-jess-french-boy-who-fell-from-sky-benjamin-dean-when-i-feel-red-lily-bailey-clockwork-conspiracy-sam-sedgman|title=Children's and teens roundup – the best new chapter books|work=The Guardian|first=Kitty|last=Empire|date=6 February 2024|accessdate=14 October 2024}}</ref> and his third YA novel ''This Story is a Lie''. ''This Story is a Lie'' featured on the 2025 World Book Day list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/coehlo-donaldson-and-dean-on-world-book-day-2025-1-list|title=Coehlo, Donaldson and Dean on World Book Day 2025 £1 list|work=The Bookseller|first=Lauren|last=Brown|date=10 September 2024|accessdate=14 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldbookday.com/book/this-story-is-a-lie/|title=This Story is a Lie|work=World Book Day|accessdate=14 October 2024}}</ref> Dean sat on the judges' panel of the 2024 BBC Young Writers' Award alongside Katie Thistleton, Jeffrey Boakye, Katherine Webber and Nicola Dinan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2cslf9QxZKznVCqplBS0SY0/the-winner-of-the-2024-bbc-young-writers-award-with-cambridge-university-has-been-announced|title=The winner of the 2024 BBC Young Writers' Award with Cambridge University has been announced!|work=BBC Radio 1|date=October 2024|access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref>
==Bibliography== ===Middle-grade=== * ''Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow'' (2021) * ''The Secret Sunshine Project'' (2022) * ''The Boy who Fell from the Sky'' (2024)
===Young adult=== * ''The King is Dead'' (2022) * ''How to Die Famous'' (2023) * ''This Story is a Lie'' (2024) * ''Bury Your Friends'' (2025)
===Short stories=== * "The Ticking Funhouse" in ''The Very Merry Murder Club'' (2021) * in ''The Super Sunny Murder Club'' (2024)
==Accolades== {| class="wikitable sortable |+ !Year !Award !Category !Title !Result !Ref |- | rowspan="3" | 2022 | Waterstones Children's Book Prize | Younger Fiction | rowspan="2" | ''Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow'' | {{sho}} |<ref name="bp feb 22">{{Cite web|date=11 February 2022 |title=Waterstones Children's Book Prize shortlists announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2022/02/11/209884/waterstones-childrens-book-prize-shortlists-announced-3/ |access-date=12 February 2022 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref> |- | Diverse Book Awards | Children's | {{won}} |<ref name="tb oct 22">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/dean-bowen-and-abdullah-crowned-winners-at-diverse-book-awards|title=Dean, Bowen and Abdullah crowned winners at Diverse Book Awards|work=The Bookseller|first=Ruth|last=Comerford|date=21 October 2022|access-date=30 October 2022}}</ref> |- | Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards | Young Adult Fiction | ''The King is Dead'' | {{sho}} |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://booksirelandmagazine.com/shortlist-for-books-are-my-bag-readers-awards-announced/|title=Shortlist for Books Are My Bag Readers Awards announced|work=Books Ireland|date=6 October 2022|access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" | 2024 | Jhalak Prize | Children's and Young Adult | rowspan="2" | ''How to Die Famous'' | {{sho}} |<ref name="jp apr 24">{{cite web |title=The Prize: 2024 Shortlist |url=https://www.jhalakprize.com/the-prize |website=Jhalak Prize |access-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420221043/https://www.jhalakprize.com/the-prize |archive-date=20 April 2024 |language=en | url-status=live}}</ref> |- | colspan="2" | YA Book Prize | {{sho}} |<ref name="tb jul 24">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/author-interviews/benjamin-dean-on-his-ya-book-prize-shortlisted-novel-how-to-die-famous|title=Benjamin Dean on his YA Book Prize shortlisted novel, How to Die Famous|work=The Bookseller|first=Katie|last=Fraser|date=12 July 2024|accessdate=10 September 2024}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Benjamin}} Category:Living people Category:1993 births Category:Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University Category:Black British LGBTQ people Category:Black British writers Category:British writers of young adult literature Category:BuzzFeed people Category:English children's writers Category:English gay writers Category:Writers from Peterborough