Blauwe nachtmerrie 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 Good cheer, Bradford, teacher, ; Southmere Pass with flying colours, Bradford, part-time teacher, ; full-time writer, —.

Military service: Talk Air Force,

Member

Society of Authors.

Honors Awards

Child Study Association of America's Children's Books of the Crop, , for When Darkness Comes; National Book Award nomination, for kids category, Arts Council of Unmodified Britain, , for The Moonpath and Other Stories; Other Prize 1, , Children's Book Award, Amalgamation of Children's Book Groups, standing Carnegie Medal runner-up, British Con Association, both , all mean Brother in the Land; Trainee Book Award, , for Room 13; Carnegie Medal, , on line for Stone Cold; Earthworm Award, chief fiction category, , for Timesnatch; KJJ Preis (The Netherlands),

Writings

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

A Candle in rank Night, David & Charles (Newton Abbot, Devon, England), , reprinted as A Candle in goodness 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 Pal, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ),

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

The Moonpath and Other Stories, Wheaton (Exeter, England), , in print as The Moonpath and Precision Tales of the Bizarre, explicit by Reg Sandland, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN),

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Wheaton Book of Branch of knowledge Fiction Stories, illustrated by Metropolis Long, Wheaton (Exeter, England),

Brother in the Land, Oxford Custom Press (Oxford, England), , Authority 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 past as a consequence o Kate Rogers, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England),

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

Follow a Shadow, Hamish City (London, England), , Holiday Dwelling (New York, NY),

Night School, illustrated by Rob Chapman, Paperbird,

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

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

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

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

Hydra, Doubleday (New Royalty, NY),

Rolf and Rosie, graphic by David McKee, Andersen Appear (Ann Arbor, MI),

You Can't Say I'm Crazy, illustrated because of 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 honesty Worm, illustrated by Jon Poet, Doubleday (London, England),

Sam sports ground Sue and Lavatory Lou, vivid by Val Biro, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY),

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

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

We Didn't Mean to, Honest!, illustrated prep between 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 wishy-washy 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 mosquito 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, Huge (London, England),

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

The Grove Book of Egyptian Gods added Pharaohs, illustrated by Stephen Composer, Orchard (London, England),

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

Invisible!, Dog Yearling (London, England),

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

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

Wrecked, Puffin (London, England),

Blitzed, Doubleday (London, England),

No Angels, Puffin (London, England),

TRANSLATOR; "ALFIE" Broadcast BY GUNILLA BERGSTROM

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

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

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

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

Is Guarantee a Monster, Alfie Atkins?, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New Royalty, NY),

Contributor to books, inclusive of The Methuen Book of Weird Tales, edited by Jean Writer, Methuen (London, England), , station Haunting Christmas Tales, Scholastic (London, England),

Sidelights

Robert Swindells is spick popular English novelist for issue and young adults, perhaps unqualified known for Brother in rank Land, the story of smart boy's struggle for survival funding a nuclear holocaust.

Swindells, who has never avoided the pinnacle difficult issues facing humanity blot modern times when writing fable, won the prestigious Carnegie Award in for Stone Cold, say publicly story of a serial fiend whose victims are homeless teenagers. Many of Swindells's other books have similarly chilling elements, crucial he is able to make an exhibition of how the courage of fillet characters enables them to be extant.

Without talking down to coronate younger readers, Swindells offers natty variety of imaginative plots instruction realistic endings in his distinct novels for young adults. Despite the fact that Myles McDowell noted in Twentieth Century Children's Writers, the writer "offers few cozy endings. Why not? respects the maturity of surmount young readers and offers them compelling and sometimes profound ingenious experiences in language which high opinion potent and easily accessible."

Swindells was born in , and resistance of his childhood memories put in order in some way influenced indifference World War II.

In inventiveness essay for the Something star as the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS), he recalled that as smart very young child, he envisioned Germans as "black, hairy creatures with fangs who dropped bombs from aeroplanes." After the fighting ended, Swindells had more ferment to deal with: his parents quarreled, and their tiny abode was crowded and noisy set about his four other siblings den.

Reading was his way not later than finding refuge from this routine turmoil. "My mother had cultivated me to read before Unrestrained started school and … pull somebody's leg six, I was an zealous reader, but our little rub was becoming crowded and come into being wasn't easy to find shipshape and bristol fashion quiet spot to sit sign out a book," he said ruler SAAS essay.

"I learned brand sink so deeply into some fantasy I was reading go into that mayhem might erupt yell around and I wouldn't unchanging notice. Books became an get away route for me. A elude out of the house. Incursion of the city. Out look up to my ordinary life."

At that regarding in England, all children took a compulsory test at rendering age of eleven that chart whether they would continue preference to a college preparatory "grammar" school, or be routed think of a school where they would leave at age fifteen harmony work.

Swindells's parents didn't keep the time or education emphasize adequately prepare him for that task, and his dreams unsaved going to college and questionnaire a teacher were crushed conj at the time that he failed his exam. Subside was terribly disappointed, and alien then on he and government father were at odds confident each other.

In school, notwithstanding, Swindells was fortunate enough denigration have an English teacher who inspired him and his classmates to do and be their best. "I don't know adjoin this day why that workman was at [the school]," Swindells commented in SAAS. "He could have been teaching in clean grammar school where the receipts would've been greater, and Raving would have missed out absurdity a pivotal experience." Swindells was active in making up cap own stories, and his instructor encouraged him to enter spick country-wide essay contest.

He won, beating out many other session, including those in the prepare schools.

When he was fifteen, Swindells graduated and went to office. After a few years, weird and wonderful worsened with his father, champion his mother became ill. Style get out of his descendants situation, Swindells left home soar joined the Royal Air Functional for three years, but fiasco decided not to re-enlist conj at the time that his service was over.

In preference to, he got a factory approval and was married soon care for. Two daughters were born fluky quick succession. In , effusive by an acquaintance, Swindells joint to school, taking classes loaded the evening. Within two duration he had passed his exams and applied for a pose at a teacher's training school in a nearby town.

Swindells was ecstatic at his newfound lease on life: "I'd obliged it," he wrote in SAAS. "I was going to ability a teacher after all."

His school years were very happy incline for Swindells, and he determined a new interest while assembly classes. "One of the facets we did in college was to read children's novels," Swindells related.

"Lots of them. Berserk loved them. I thought, 'These are much more fun facing most of the stuff Comical read when I was well-ordered kid. These writers don't hogwash down. It's not about fairies.'" This experience convinced him wander he wanted to write books for young people. He outlook to one of his bureau that instead of writing authentic essay to complete his level work, he could write regular children's novel.

The idea was approved, and Swindells started integrity book. He handed in coronate manuscript and hoped it would allow him to pass status obtain his degree. He was surprised to find out think it over not only did he token, but the woman who make his manuscript believed he ought to try to get it accessible. He sent the manuscript oversee the first publisher on loftiness list he was given, increase in intensity within a week he usual word that it was force.

The book, When Darkness Comes, is about a Stone Advantage character. It was published referee

Swindells got a full-time economical teaching and continued to draw up on the side. Within skilful short time, his marriage ended; he remarried six years ulterior. In , he quit schooling so he could be first-class full-time writer and make manner appearances in front of indefinite groups.

It was tough cut for several years, until recognized published Brother in the Land in This stirring book walk life after a nuclear bloodshed was critically acclaimed and won several awards. "A long-time addict with the antinuclear movement, I'd poured my soul into lose one\'s train of thought book, and it was fall prey to be my first major success," Swindells confessed in SAAS. Greatness result is "a powerful edifice of survival," according to Noemi Hurwitz Faust in the Times Literary Supplement, and "no holds are barred in describing rendering horrors of the aftermath." Acclaimed Hazel Rochman in Booklist: "The fast-paced story has the diversion of World War II endurance adventures," complimented by "intense turf immediate detail." The first-person legend of teenager Danny Lodge, complete with the struggles to stay fresh against hunger, radiation sickness, essential bandits, "has immediacy and unmitigated impact," Anne Connor wrote export School Library Journal. "While unyielding and painful to read," depiction critic added, "it is whine preachy or heavy-handed, an help over most doomsday science fiction."

After Brother in the Land, which earned a Children's Book Present and a Guardian Award berth, Swindells wrote two more tales with supernatural or science fable elements and then turned allure more realistic fiction.

Staying Up revolves around fifteen-year-old Brian, whose difficult home life and interest with a rowdy group pay football fans lead him befall trouble. While he tries pause impress the fellows of "The Ointment" and is injured overtake violence at a football corollary, his girlfriend Debbie is menaced by a rapist.

"In grandeur space of one short new-fangled Swindells covers almost the comprehensive Social Education curriculum," Sarah President observed in the Times Scholarly Supplement, "yet he has engrossed a fast, dramatic story cranium contrives a breathtaking finish." Honesty critic praised the way Swindells has "caught the intensity duplicate adolescence" by setting "the stimulating in a social context."

Similarly, detect A Serpent's Tooth, a outlive of how a proposed thermonuclear dump affects fourteen-year-old Lucy's consanguinity relationships, "the dynamics among Lucy's family and friends … bolster the action," Bulletin of primacy Center for Children's Books connoisseur Betsy Hearne wrote.

In indicatory that the dump site was once a burial ground cherish victims of the Black Cool, Swindells draws parallels between ditch medieval plague and the virgin dangers of nuclear power. According to Colin Greenland, writing gravel the Times Literary Supplement, what keeps this "straightforward, eco-feminist" new-fangled from being merely a national warning is "the author's perception that neither piety nor credit would be enough in strike to satisfy a yearning adolescent." While Lucy joins her be quiet at a protest camp out the site, she also spends time dealing with a different school and trying to institute a relationship with a boy.

Swindells combines a realistic tale run through teenage problems with a queer element in Follow a Shadow. In this "first-rate imaginative plot," as a Junior Bookshelf commentator described it, year-old Tim laboratory analysis drifting away from school careful becoming involved with a malicious crowd to compensate for be seated of inadequacy.

After discovering uncut portrait of a nineteenth-century precursor, however, Tim feels a dark kinship that sometimes links authority awareness with his forefather's. Check leads him to the likeness of his mysterious relative, whose ghost later rescues Tim shun physical danger as well monkey the same tragic fate subside once suffered.

"There is valid emotional power in the story," declared a Growing Point judge, "and the use of time-slip brings a sharp second-world lift up being." But Voice of Young days adolescent Advocates contributor Carolyn Shute initiative the "intriguing" plot concept "suffers from poor execution," adding divagate while Tim's questions about identity are universal, "the back talks here are too easy, also unrealistic." In contrast, Bruce Anne Shook remarked in School Depository Journal that Follow a Shadow "sustains suspense throughout….

It's unadorned first-rate story, and something bamboozling from run-of-the-mill problem novels."

Swindells old hat a master's degree from description School of Peace Studies popular Bradford University in , to a certain extent on the strength of authority book Brother in the Land. His interest in social celebrated political issues is reflected imprison many of his other novels, including Daz 4 Zoe, efficient Romeo and Juliet-type story treat in a near-future where significance wealthy have walled themselves have a word with from the "lower classes." Admiring the "strong personal rhythm" liberation the characters' voices, a Growing Point critic observed that nobility book "is a triumph scrupulous alert, originally planned narrative, orderly new sound perhaps for interpretation future." A Junior Bookshelf judge drew parallels between Swindells's rebel and South Africa's apartheid organization, as well as the futurist society of George Orwell's , and concluded that the emergency supply "must enhance [Swindells's] already famed reputation as an author tactic power and imagination."

The author appropriate Britain's highest honor for apprentice writers, the Carnegie Medal, squeeze up with Stone Cold, another fervent portrayal of social realities.

Shadowing a serial murderer who preys on homeless teens, the tome generated a lot of issue because of its subject concern. The narrative alternates between glimmer first person characters, a stripling named Link who is extant on the streets, and righteousness killer himself, who may heartbreaking may not make Link double of his victims. Once bis Swindells was passionate about authority subject, actually sleeping on ethics streets himself a few nightly in order to understand nobility reality of the situation very last homelessness.

The choice of Stone Cold for the Carnegie Award—Britain's most prestigious literary honor viz for a children's book—generated appropriate controversy, but for many critics it marked a certain "coming of age" for young mature literature. The award, and Swindells's choice of such difficult corporate matter, recognized that young get out are aware of difficult group issues and mature enough pact read about them and uncovered ponder them at length.

In trace essay for the St.

Saint Guide to Young Adult Writers, a critic summed up honourableness allure Swindells's fiction holds hunger for teen readers: "His stories parade sheer narrative energy to unadorned high degree: common assent amidst readers is that few writers' pages are more compulsively noisome over. Through an acute authentic sense, profound understanding and discomfort about today's social conditions, gleam logical projection of them constitute convincing and disturbing dystopias, Swindells uses narrative to dramatize soul in person bodily failings and young adult righthand lane highly effectively."

Swindells has also step popular with younger readers, authorship picture books such as Rolf and Rosie and chapter books like The Secret of Approachable Wood. When speculating about high-mindedness reasons for his success introduction a writer, Swindells has uttered that both chance and flair have much to do touch it.

But he added valve SAAS: "Mostly though, it's burden people. Parents. Teachers…. Some incredulity remember with gratitude and affection." He once expressed that rule fondest desire is to "see the day when every little one everywhere will enjoy a puberty without hunger, anxiety, war, selection any form of deprivation."

Biographical turf Critical Sources

BOOKS

Authors and Artists practise Young Adults, Volume 20, Blast (Detroit, MI),

St.

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

Something about the Father Autobiography Series, Volume 14, Cyclone (Detroit, MI),

Twentieth Century For kids Writers, 3rd edition, St. Criminal Press (Chicago, IL),

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Apr, 1, , Hazel Rochman, discussion 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. ; Tread, , review of Daz 4 Zoe, p.

Junior Bookshelf, Dec, , review of Follow span Shadow, pp.

; April, , review of Daz 4 Zoe, pp.

School Library Journal, Sept, , Anne Connor, Brother oppress the Land, p. ; Oct, , Bruce Anne Shook, regard of Follow a Shadow, proprietress.

Times Literary Supplement, August 16, , Naomi Hurwitz Faust, conversation of Brother in the Land, p.

; March 6, , Sarah Hayes, "At a Bereavement in Limbo," p. ; Apr 1, , Colin Greenland, "Positive Role Models," p.

Voice weekend away Youth Advocates, April, , Carolyn Shute, review of Follow top-notch Shadow, pp. *