Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) spent her childhood in Essex and began writing fantasy novels for children in the 1970s. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she enthralled generations of children and adults with her work. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children's Book Award in 1981 and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal.
PRAISE FOR DIANA WYNNE JONES: ...Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels, a sense of urgency that links Jones's most outrageous plots to her readers' hopes and fears... Publishers Weekly The best writer of magic there is Neil Gaiman Truly magical - guaranteed to leave you gasping - even hotter than Potter The Bookseller PRAISE FOR HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE: Imaginative and terribly funny Michael Morpurgo The Telegraph - 100 Best Books a Child Should Read Wit and humor glint from the pages The Horn Book