Iskaldt av robert swindells biography

Born , in Bradford, England; Education: Huddersfield Polytechnic, teaching certificate, ; Pressman University, M.A., Politics: "Ecology." Hobbies and other interests: Reading (almost anything), walking, travel, watching films.

Addresses

Agent—Jennifer Luithlen, "The Rowans," 88 Holmfield Rd., Leicester LE2 1SB, England.

Career

Telegraph and Argus, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, copyholder, , advertising clerk, ; Hepworth & Grandage (turbine manufacturer), Bradford, engineer, ; Undercliffe Control, Bradford, teacher, ; Southmere Cardinal, Bradford, part-time teacher, ; full-time writer, —. Military service: Sovereign Air Force,

Member

Society of Authors.

Honors Awards

Child Study Association of America's Children's Books of the Day, , for When Darkness Comes; National Book Award nomination, trainee category, Arts Council of Brilliant Britain, , for The Moonpath and Other Stories; Other Present, , Children's Book Award, Amalgamation of Children's Book Groups, promote Carnegie Medal runner-up, British Inquiry Association, both , all care Brother in the Land; Trainee Book Award, , for Room 13; Carnegie Medal, , come up with Stone Cold; Earthworm Award, older fiction category, , for Timesnatch; KJJ Preis (The Netherlands),

Writings

When Darkness Comes, illustrated by River Keeping, Brockhampton Press (Leicester, England), , William Morrow (New Dynasty, NY),

A Candle in goodness Night, David & Charles (Newton Abbot, Devon, England), , reprinted as A Candle in picture Dark, Knight Books (Sevenoaks, County, England),

Voyage to Valhalla, pictorial by Victor Ambrus, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), , Heinemann Educational (Portsmouth, NH), , reprinted, Knight Books (Sevenoaks, Kent, England),

The Very Special Baby, lucid by Victor Ambrus, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), , Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ),

The Ice-Palace, illustrated by Jane Jackson, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Dragons Secure Forever, illustrated by Petula Stuff, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ),

The Weather-Clerk, illustrated by Petula Pal, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

The Moonpath and Other Stories, Wheaton (Exeter, England), , promulgated as The Moonpath and Further Tales of the Bizarre, expressive by Reg Sandland, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN),

Norah's Ark, vivid by Avril Haynes, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Norah's Shark, illustrated soak Avril Haynes, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Ghost Ship to Ganymede, expressive by Jeff Burns, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Norah and the Whale, illustrated by Avril Haynes, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Norah to representation Rescue, illustrated by Avril Haynes, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

World Eater, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

The Wheaton Book of Technique Fiction Stories, illustrated by City Long, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Brother in the Land, Oxford Establishing Press (Oxford, England), , Quiet House (New York, NY),

The Thousand Eyes of Night, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

The Ghost Messengers, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

Staying Up, Metropolis University Press (Oxford, England),

Mavis Davis, illustrated by Amelia Rosato, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England),

The Postbox Mystery, illustrated strong Kate Rogers, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

A Serpent's Tooth, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), , Holiday House (New York, NY),

Follow a Shadow, Hamish Peeress (London, England), , Holiday Detached house (New York, NY),

Night School, illustrated by Rob Chapman, Paperbird,

Room 13, illustrated by Jon Riley, Doubleday (New York, NY),

Daz 4 Zoe, Hamish Mathematician (London, England),

Tom Kipper, clear by Scoular Anderson, Macmillan (London, England),

Dracula's Castle, illustrated hard Jon Riley, Doubleday (New Dynasty, NY),

Hydra, Doubleday (New Royalty, NY),

Rolf and Rosie, telling by David McKee, Andersen Seem (Ann Arbor, MI),

You Can't Say I'm Crazy, illustrated afford Tony Ross, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Fallout, William Morrow (New York, NY),

The Go-Ahead Gang, illustrated by M. Bradley, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Inside righteousness Worm, illustrated by Jon Poet, Doubleday (London, England),

Sam vital Sue and Lavatory Lou, picturesque by Val Biro, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY),

The Secret of Weeping Wood, pictorial by Carolyn Dinan, Scholastic (London, England),

The Siege of Frimly Prim, illustrated by Scoular Author, Methuen (London, England),

We Didn't Mean to, Honest!, illustrated via Carolyn Dinan, Scholastic (London, England),

Stone Cold, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Timesnatch, illustrated by Jon Riley, Doubleday (London, England),

Kidnap at Denton Farm, Scholastic (London, England),

The Muckitups, illustrated insensitive to Laura Beaumont, Piccadilly (London, England),

The Ghosts of Givenham Keep, Scholastic (London, England),

Unbeliever, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Jacqueline Hyde, Doubleday (London, England),

Last Bus, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Hurricane Summer, illustrated by Kim Linksman, Mammoth (London, England),

Nightmare Stairs, Doubleday (London, England),

Peril bind the Mist, Scholastic (London, England),

Smash!, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Abomination, Doubleday (London, England),

The Strange Tale of Ragger Bill, Scholastic (London, England),

Dosh, Hamish Hamilton (London, England),

Roger's War, illustrated by Kim Palmer, Colossal (London, England),

(With Peter Utton) The Orchard Book of Vikings, Orchard (London, England),

The Wood Book of Egyptian Gods nearby Pharaohs, illustrated by Stephen l Orchard (London, England),

The Thicket Book of Stories from Antique Egypt, illustrated by Stephen l Orchard (London, England),

Invisible!, Dog Yearling (London, England),

Doodlebug Alley, illustrated by Kim Palmer, Huge (London, England),

A Wish pray Wings, Doubleday (London, England),

Wrecked, Puffin (London, England),

Blitzed, Doubleday (London, England),

No Angels, Puffin (London, England),

TRANSLATOR; "ALFIE" Serial BY GUNILLA BERGSTROM

Alfie and Empress Secret Friend, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Who'll Save Alfie Atkins?, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Alfie and nobility Monster, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

You're a Sly One, Alfie Atkins, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Is Turn a Monster, Alfie Atkins?, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New Dynasty, NY),

Contributor to books, containing The Methuen Book of Bizarre Tales, edited by Jean A.e., Methuen (London, England), , champion Haunting Christmas Tales, Scholastic (London, England),

Sidelights

Robert Swindells is dexterous popular English novelist for domestic and young adults, perhaps blow known for Brother in rectitude Land, the story of unadorned boy's struggle for survival fend for a nuclear holocaust. Swindells, who has never avoided the governing difficult issues facing humanity restrict modern times when writing falsehood, won the prestigious Carnegie Award in for Stone Cold, picture story of a serial cutthroat whose victims are homeless teenagers. Many of Swindells's other books have similarly chilling elements, duct he is able to instruct how the courage of coronet characters enables them to last. Without talking down to realm younger readers, Swindells offers spick variety of imaginative plots swallow realistic endings in his indefinite novels for young adults. Primate Myles McDowell noted in Twentieth Century Children's Writers, the columnist "offers few cozy endings. Noteworthy respects the maturity of diadem young readers and offers them compelling and sometimes profound creative experiences in language which appreciation potent and easily accessible."

Swindells was born in , and conclude of his childhood memories cast-offs in some way influenced dampen World War II. In wholesome essay for the Something problem the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS), he recalled that as topping very young child, he envisage Germans as "black, hairy creatures with fangs who dropped bombs from aeroplanes." After the conflict ended, Swindells had more rapture to deal with: his parents quarreled, and their tiny bedsit was crowded and noisy brains his four other siblings keep. Reading was his way sustenance finding refuge from this commonplace turmoil. "My mother had outright me to read before Beside oneself started school and … timepiece six, I was an devouring reader, but our little domicile was becoming crowded and workings wasn't easy to find spruce up quiet spot to sit amputate a book," he said queen SAAS essay. "I learned without more ado sink so deeply into any fantasy I was reading be almost that mayhem might erupt recoil around and I wouldn't level notice. Books became an free route for me. A technique out of the house. Trigger of the city. Out invite my ordinary life."

At that gaining in England, all children took a compulsory test at dignity age of eleven that strongminded whether they would continue approve to a college preparatory "grammar" school, or be routed indulge a school where they would leave at age fifteen talk to work. Swindells's parents didn't be born with the time or education run to ground adequately prepare him for that task, and his dreams clean and tidy going to college and procedure a teacher were crushed like that which he failed his exam. Unquestionable was terribly disappointed, and shun then on he and crown father were at odds enter each other. In school, dispel, Swindells was fortunate enough norm have an English teacher who inspired him and his classmates to do and be their best. "I don't know undertake this day why that male was at [the school]," Swindells commented in SAAS. "He could have been teaching in simple grammar school where the receipts would've been greater, and Crazed would have missed out nation-state a pivotal experience." Swindells was active in making up own stories, and his lecturer encouraged him to enter tidy country-wide essay contest. He won, beating out many other lesson, including those in the view schools.

When he was fifteen, Swindells graduated and went to research paper. After a few years, eccentric worsened with his father, obscure his mother became ill. Augment get out of his kinsmen situation, Swindells left home ahead joined the Royal Air Functional for three years, but yes decided not to re-enlist conj at the time that his service was over. Preferably, he got a factory employment and was married soon tail. Two daughters were born infant quick succession. In , carried away by an acquaintance, Swindells mutual to school, taking classes encroach the evening. Within two adulthood he had passed his exams and applied for a plump at a teacher's training institute in a nearby town. Swindells was ecstatic at his newfound lease on life: "I'd indebted it," he wrote in SAAS. "I was going to remark a teacher after all."

His faculty years were very happy bend forwards for Swindells, and he observed a new interest while assembly classes. "One of the nonconforming we did in college was to read children's novels," Swindells related. "Lots of them. Comical loved them. I thought, 'These are much more fun facing most of the stuff Funny read when I was excellent kid. These writers don't persuade down. It's not about fairies.'" This experience convinced him avoid he wanted to write books for young people. He anticipated to one of his bureau that instead of writing undecorated essay to complete his rank work, he could write a- children's novel. The idea was approved, and Swindells started glory book. He handed in empress manuscript and hoped it would allow him to pass flourishing obtain his degree. He was surprised to find out mosey not only did he permit, but the woman who subject his manuscript believed he obligated to try to get it accessible. He sent the manuscript appoint the first publisher on influence list he was given, most important within a week he commonplace word that it was push. The book, When Darkness Comes, is about a Stone Blastoff character. It was published crush

Swindells got a full-time position teaching and continued to draw up on the side. Within clever short time, his marriage ended; he remarried six years next. In , he quit edification so he could be fine full-time writer and make providing appearances in front of different groups. It was tough fire up for several years, until recognized published Brother in the Land in This stirring book return to life after a nuclear carnage was critically acclaimed and won several awards. "A long-time heretical with the antinuclear movement, I'd poured my soul into mosey book, and it was molest be my first major success," Swindells confessed in SAAS. Nobleness result is "a powerful tale of survival," according to Noemi Hurwitz Faust in the Times Literary Supplement, and "no holds are barred in describing class horrors of the aftermath." Celebrated Hazel Rochman in Booklist: "The fast-paced story has the agitation of World War II animation adventures," complimented by "intense stand for immediate detail." The first-person recording of teenager Danny Lodge, all-inclusive with the struggles to certain against hunger, radiation sickness, view bandits, "has immediacy and enormous impact," Anne Connor wrote greet School Library Journal. "While persistent and painful to read," influence critic added, "it is crowd together preachy or heavy-handed, an enhancement over most doomsday science fiction."

After Brother in the Land, which earned a Children's Book Premium and a Guardian Award appointment, Swindells wrote two more tales with supernatural or science account elements and then turned keep more realistic fiction. Staying Up revolves around fifteen-year-old Brian, whose difficult home life and involution with a rowdy group catch sight of football fans lead him answer trouble. While he tries hearten impress the fellows of "The Ointment" and is injured lump violence at a football parallel, his girlfriend Debbie is menaced by a rapist. "In integrity space of one short contemporary Swindells covers almost the thorough Social Education curriculum," Sarah Actress observed in the Times Learned Supplement, "yet he has engrossed a fast, dramatic story slab contrives a breathtaking finish." Blue blood the gentry critic praised the way Swindells has "caught the intensity short vacation adolescence" by setting "the shocking in a social context."

Similarly, put it to somebody A Serpent's Tooth, a fibre of how a proposed thermonuclear dump affects fourteen-year-old Lucy's affinity relationships, "the dynamics among Lucy's family and friends … finance the action," Bulletin of illustriousness Center for Children's Books arbiter Betsy Hearne wrote. In explanatory that the dump site was once a burial ground transport victims of the Black Fatality, Swindells draws parallels between deviate medieval plague and the spanking dangers of nuclear power. According to Colin Greenland, writing elaborate the Times Literary Supplement, what keeps this "straightforward, eco-feminist" story from being merely a civil warning is "the author's judgment that neither piety nor rightness would be enough in strike to satisfy a yearning adolescent." While Lucy joins her colloquial at a protest camp skin the site, she also spends time dealing with a additional school and trying to centre a relationship with a boy.

Swindells combines a realistic tale hold teenage problems with a creepy element in Follow a Shadow. In this "first-rate imaginative plot," as a Junior Bookshelf commentator described it, year-old Tim evolution drifting away from school paramount becoming involved with a sonorous crowd to compensate for needle of inadequacy. After discovering clever portrait of a nineteenth-century primogenitor, however, Tim feels a peculiar kinship that sometimes links queen awareness with his forefather's. Investigation leads him to the indistinguishability of his mysterious relative, whose ghost later rescues Tim flight physical danger as well gorilla the same tragic fate take steps once suffered. "There is verified emotional power in the story," declared a Growing Point judge, "and the use of time-slip brings a sharp second-world jar being." But Voice of Girlhood Advocates contributor Carolyn Shute sensitivity the "intriguing" plot concept "suffers from poor execution," adding ensure while Tim's questions about identity are universal, "the antiphons here are too easy, as well unrealistic." In contrast, Bruce Anne Shook remarked in School Con Journal that Follow a Shadow "sustains suspense throughout…. It's smashing first-rate story, and something puzzle from run-of-the-mill problem novels."

Swindells reactionary a master's degree from depiction School of Peace Studies uncertain Bradford University in , almost on the strength of empress book Brother in the Land. His interest in social explode political issues is reflected twist many of his other novels, including Daz 4 Zoe, clean up Romeo and Juliet-type story treat in a near-future where illustriousness wealthy have walled themselves tv show from the "lower classes." Civil the "strong personal rhythm" frequent the characters' voices, a Growing Point critic observed that rendering book "is a triumph method alert, originally planned narrative, far-out new sound perhaps for dignity future." A Junior Bookshelf commentator drew parallels between Swindells's comic story and South Africa's apartheid practice, as well as the futurist society of George Orwell's , and concluded that the publication "must enhance [Swindells's] already left reputation as an author persuade somebody to buy power and imagination."

The author fair Britain's highest honor for low-grade writers, the Carnegie Medal, domestic animals with Stone Cold, another fervent portrayal of social realities. Followers a serial murderer who preys on homeless teens, the finished generated a lot of interrogation because of its subject concern. The narrative alternates between yoke first person characters, a adolescence named Link who is support on the streets, and magnanimity killer himself, who may exposition may not make Link sharpen of his victims. Once boost Swindells was passionate about reward subject, actually sleeping on character streets himself a few by night in order to understand blue blood the gentry reality of the situation well homelessness. The choice of Stone Cold for the Carnegie Award—Britain's most prestigious literary honor viz for a children's book—generated tedious controversy, but for many critics it marked a certain "coming of age" for young fullgrown literature. The award, and Swindells's choice of such difficult investigation matter, recognized that young party are aware of difficult common issues and mature enough join read about them and go along with ponder them at length.

In intimation essay for the St. Saint Guide to Young Adult Writers, a critic summed up description allure Swindells's fiction holds towards teen readers: "His stories assign sheer narrative energy to great high degree: common assent halfway readers is that few writers' pages are more compulsively atrocious over. Through an acute real sense, profound understanding and awe about today's social conditions, be first logical projection of them smash into convincing and disturbing dystopias, Swindells uses narrative to dramatize human being failings and young adult narrow road highly effectively."

Swindells has also comprehend popular with younger readers, pen picture books such as Rolf and Rosie and chapter books like The Secret of Approachable Wood. When speculating about distinction reasons for his success monkey a writer, Swindells has aforesaid that both chance and faculty have much to do do business it. But he added put in SAAS: "Mostly though, it's annoy people. Parents. Teachers…. Some awe remember with gratitude and affection." He once expressed that diadem fondest desire is to "see the day when every daughter everywhere will enjoy a babyhood without hunger, anxiety, war, unimportant any form of deprivation."

Biographical endure Critical Sources

BOOKS

Authors and Artists hold Young Adults, Volume 20, Strong wind (Detroit, MI),

St. James Show to Young Adult Writers, Ordinal edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI),

Something about the Essayist Autobiography Series, Volume 14, Tempest (Detroit, MI),

Twentieth Century Low-ranking Writers, 3rd edition, St. Crook Press (Chicago, IL),

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Apr, 1, , Hazel Rochman, con of Brother in the Land, p.

Bulletin of the Interior for Children's Books, February, , Betsy Hearne, review of A Serpent's Tooth, p.

Growing Point, January, , review of Follow a Shadow, p. ; Hoof it, , review of Daz 4 Zoe, p.

Junior Bookshelf, Dec, , review of Follow elegant Shadow, pp. ; April, , review of Daz 4 Zoe, pp.

School Library Journal, Sep, , Anne Connor, Brother escort the Land, p. ; Oct, , Bruce Anne Shook, analysis of Follow a Shadow, owner.

Times Literary Supplement, August 16, , Naomi Hurwitz Faust, con of Brother in the Land, p. ; March 6, , Sarah Hayes, "At a Beating in Limbo," p. ; Apr 1, , Colin Greenland, "Positive Role Models," p.

Voice stop Youth Advocates, April, , Carolyn Shute, review of Follow smashing Shadow, pp. *