Miriam Halahmy – författare

It is late August 1939: Britain is on the brink of war, and preparations are under way to evacuate London’s children to the countryside. When twelve-year-old Tilly and her best friend Rosy find out that they will not be able to take their beloved dog and cat with them – and that, even worse, their pets will, along with countless other animals, be taken to the vet to be put down – they decide to take action. The two girls come up with the idea of hiding them in a derelict hut in the woods and, when other children find out and start bringing their rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters, their secret den turns into an emergency zoo.Inspired by real events during the Second World War, Miriam Halahmy’s novel is a touching tale of courage, resourcefulness and camaraderie in desperate times, as well as a stirring defence of animal welfare.

This incredibly powerful and dramatic story deals with prejudice, judgement, courage and the difficulty of sorting right from wrong in a complex world.

Fifteen-year-olds Tasha and Josie are near-neighbours who never thought they had anything in common. But when their families let them down, they find themselves unlikely allies in a battle for survival. On the margins of adulthood, these two girls also find themselves also on the margins of society. And where do you go for safety when there is no security at home?

Rudi is nine. His own country is no longer safe for Jewish children and he is being sent from Germany to England on the Kindertransport train. But he can't take his beloved little dog, Hanno. By a lucky chance Hanno is smuggled into England and helps Rudi to cope with life in a strange country. But as World War 2 looms, there is a chilling new threat to Hanno. How can Rudi and his new friends save their pets?Inspired by the real events of the Kindertransport and the refugee children who came to Britain just before war was declared.

“I am just going to write because I cannot help it.”Charlotte BrontëHaworth 1847. When Mother and her beloved twin brothers are taken by the Haworth ‘miasma’, to keep her family from the workhouse, 15-year-old Kate takes a cleaning job at The Parsonage, home to the Brontë family. Kate dreams of being a writer. Poverty and gender stand in her way and Luke Feather who wants to marry her, believes writing stories is a waste of time. When Charlotte Brontë discovers Kate’s passion for books and writing, an important friendship develops. Kate begins to embrace Charlotte’s radical ideas of equality and is thrilled when she spots clues that the Brontë sisters are writing stories. But how can Kate achieve her ambitions to write, while locked in the daily struggle to survive in Haworth?  Miriam Halahmy has written a novel which brings the Brontës alive for a new generation of readers. Themes of women’s rights, inequality and poverty are illuminated in beautiful character-driven storytelling. In a world of increasing inequality and global attacks on women’s rights, this is a novel for our time.

Pomegranates for Peace is a Middle Grade novel centred on the aftermath of the October 7th 2023 atrocities conducted by Hamas in Israel and the terrible war in Gaza which followed. The story takes place in November 2023 in London when Tamara Cohen learns that her cousin Gidi who lives in Israel, is coming to stay with the family because his dad as a medic is on the front line and his mum has been taken ill and is in hospital. At first Tamara is upset because she has to give up her bedroom. Dad is withdrawn and angry and spends all of his time following the events unfolding in Isreal and Gaza. Mum is anxious about it too and worried about Gidi who hardly speaks and seems to have arrived with little clothing. Over the next few weeks, friendships in school become strained and Tamara is concerned that she is losing her best friend Yaz. Bouts of racism against Jewish and Muslim children and families, inside and outside of school are becoming more frequent and everyone in school, including the teachers, are taking sides. In the end it is Gidi who teaches the children that Peace is the path to sorting out the mess created by adults and opens their eyes to the youth leaders in Israel and Gaza who work tirelessly to build bridges of communication. Released on the 20th November, on World Children's Day. The day marks the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. In 2025, World Children's Day calls on adults to listen to the future. Miriam Halahmy is a Jewish Anglo author and Peace Activist.

Reviews for Always Here for You:‘Truly gripping.’Saffia Farr, Editor, JUNO Magazine‘A must-read of our times.’WRD Magazine‘A heart-stopping portrayal. Essential reading for teens and parents of teens – this book may well save lives.’MIRIAM HALAHMYAngela Kiverstein‘A crucial read – current and compelling.’Penny Joelson‘Poignant, powerful and educational.’Emma Suffield,SLA UK School Librarian of the Year 2018‘Impossible to put down.’Lucas Maxwell, Portable Magic Dispenser‘A very important book.’From Bee With Love‘Compelling, insightful and urgently important.’Fallen Star Stories‘A poignant book with a very important message for teens.’A Beautiful Chaos‘A must read for all parents.’Motherhood: The Real Deal‘Incredibly well crafted.’My Chestnut Reading Tree‘An important reminder about online safety for a generation that often take the validity of their online relationships for granted.’Sarah ChurchillMiriam Halahmy's novel explores the realities of online grooming. It is told from the perspective of 14 year old Holly. Holly is a middle class girl from Brighton. She lives with Mum and Dad who love her, care about her but due to circumstances such as work pressure and Gran's loneliness and fragility after the death of Granddad, leave her at home alone. This would not be unreasonable in normal circumstances but Holly is at a particularly vulnerable time. Her best friend since nursery school has moved away to Canada. They had been inseperable and Holly has no friends at school. The novel follows Holly trying to make new friends and alongside this, meeting Jay, a boy online. The novel uses text messages and whatsapp messaging to tell the story of how Jay, another fourteen year old from a different school, become hopelessly engrossed in each other. Jay messages Holly all of the time, at 2am, at 3am and becomes desperate and sometimes sulky, when Holly doesn't message him back. Holly is flattered and soon even her newly forming school friendship group seem unimportant to her as she is increasingly flattered by and absorbed by Jay.But is he all her seems?Or is there something more sinister happening.With the debate raging about Smart phones and teenagers access to social media, this novel is ever more significant.It is pacy and gripping and easy to read. It would do well in all bookstores and in school libraries. It should be a classic for the PSHE reading list.Miriam Halahmy's Always Here for You was nominated for the Carnegie Medal