Biographical Sketch

David Almond was born in 1951, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he now lives. He grew up in Felling-on-Tyne and was educated at South Tyneside, the University of East Anglia, and Newcastle Polytechnic. He has held a number of teaching posts: primary, adult, secondary, special needs. He also spent a year living in a commune in early 80s.

He spent five years editing the literary journal 'Panurge' and his first published works were short stories for adults. The award-winning Skellig (see below) was his first childrens novel.

Skellig has won or been shortlisted for the following awards:

• Whitbread Children's Book of the Year 1998 (winner)
• The Carnegie Medal 1999 (shortlist, final judging to come)
• Lancashire Children's Book of the Year 1999 (winner)
• Stockton Children's Book of the Year 1999 (winner)
• The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 1999 (shortlist)
• Sheffield Children's Book of the Year (shortliest, final judging to come)

David Almond has been the recipient of the following special writers' awards:

• Arts Council Award (Literature for Young People) 1998
• Hawthornden Fellowship 1997
• Tyrone Guthrie award 1990