Malorie Blackman is a great choice to inspire children When we spoke at the Telegraph Hay Festival last week, she joked that she remembers when the cry "there's a black person on the telly" would have had her family running down the stairs to check out this rare phenomenon. There were so few black role models on TV. That's why I loathe Gone With The Wind. In the 1970s TV shows black people were often just slaves or criminals. One exception was Nichelle Nichol, who played Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in Star Trek. Blackman relates, with great respect, the story of how Nichol was treated badly and wanted to leave the series but was persuaded to stay so she could continue presenting a strong image of a black officer. The man who persuaded her was Martin Luther King. Blackman, incidentally, has remained a Star Trek fanatic (she has a replica uniform and raves about Benedict Cumberbatch in the new film). As well as being extremely well-read - 15,000 books are crammed throughout her home - she has a popular touch and exudes a natural empathy with children and teenagers. This sense of knowing how difficult life can be for teenagers is also what makes her such an interesting choice for Laureate. She has no time for the "demonisation" of young people and describes the lack of youth facilities and poor employment prospects for many teenagers as "scandalous." Blackman will not be a quiet Laureate. Donaldson's vocal support for libraries will continue with this successor. As Blackman says: "I will be banging the drum passionately for libraries. Reading is the key to social mobility. I would not be getting this award if it were not for public libraries. I went there every Saturday because we could not afford books. Libraries inspired and taught me to aspire, showed me that the only limits were the ones I set for myself. I learned more about life skills from from fiction than from anything else. There are politicians in South Korea who say that the UK is something of a role model but last year South Korea opened or built 180 libraries and we are closing them. That doesn't make sense. The power of libraries is still key in the Blackman family. Her mother, now in her 80s, is taking classes in how to use a laptop at her local library. Don't expect people in power to escape the force of her arguments. When I asked her what she would say to Education Secretary Michael Gove when they met, she replied: "If I ever meet Michael Gove I can promise we will have a full and frank discussion about reading. A number of my friends are teachers and the current climate is not conducive to them doing their jobs. There needs to be more of a dialogue with the government listening more. Blackman will also be a powerful advocate for the diversity of reading. She wants to set up a website to recommend books and promote a different range of reading: books in translation, graphic novels, narrative and verse books and books linked with music and apps. She will take the role very seriously. Her own writing, as she works on a sequel to Boys Don't Cry, will take a slight backseat. Above all, she will stamp her own personality on the role. She's funny and sharp ("I can't stand books that have a wimpy female," she said) and her sheer enthusiasm will win over critics. She told me that when she goes on school visits, she's always asks "Who doesn't like reading?" and waits for hands to go up. That is when I say that you haven't found the right book yet, then. It's a bold and interesting appointment - one that clearly thrills her - and by the end of 2015, I'm certain there will be thousands and thousands more children reading because of Malorie Blackman. She's a Laureate for the 21st century. Martin Chilton, the Telegraph's Culture Editor online, is on the judging panel for the 'Read For My School' national award.