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{{Short description|British author (born 1939)}}
{{Short description|British author (born 1939)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2015}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2024}}
'''Robert E. Swindells''' (born 20 March 1939) is an English author of [[Children's literature|children's]] and [[young adult fiction]].
'''Robert E. Swindells''' (born 20 March 1939) is an English author of [[Children's literature|children's]] and [[young adult fiction]].


⚫
For the young-adult novel ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone Cold]]'' (Heinemann, 1993), which deals with homelessness, he won the annual [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] from the [[Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals|CILIP]], recognizing the year's outstanding children's book by a [[British subject]].<ref name=medal1993/>
For the young-adult novel ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone
⚫
Cold]]'' (Heinemann, 1993), which dealt with homelessness, he won the annual [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] from the [[CILIP|Library Association]], recognizing the year's outstanding children's book by a [[British subject]].<ref name=medal1993/>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Born in [[Bradford]], [[Yorkshire]], Swindells worked for a newspaper after leaving school aged 15.<ref name=channel4>{{Cite web |url=http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/bookbox/authors/swindells/ |title=Robert Swindells |access-date= 19 December 2010|work=Bookbox |publisher=Channel 4 Learning |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101012212647/http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/bookbox/authors/swindells/|archive-date=2010-10-12|url-status=dead }}</ref> He served with the [[Royal Air Force]] and held various jobs before training as a [[Primary school#United Kingdom|Primary school]] teacher. While in training he wrote his first novel, ''When Darkness Comes'', which was published by [[Brockhampton Press]] of [[Leicester|Stenhousemuir]] in 1973.<ref name=LCC-darkness>[http://lccn.loc.gov/75327241 "When darkness comes"]. Library of Congress Online Catalog. Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref> He combined writing with teaching until 1980 when he took up writing full-time. He was still writing as of his 71st birthday (20 March 2010).
Born in [[Bradford]], [[Yorkshire]], Swindells worked for a newspaper after leaving school aged 15.<ref name=channel4>{{Cite web |url=http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/bookbox/authors/swindells/ |title=Robert Swindells |access-date= 19 December 2010|work=Bookbox |publisher=Channel 4 Learning |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101012212647/http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/bookbox/authors/swindells/|archive-date=2010-10-12|url-status=dead }}</ref> He served with the [[Royal Air Force]] and held various jobs before training as a [[Primary school#United Kingdom|Primary school]] teacher. While in training he wrote his first novel, ''When Darkness Comes'', which was published by [[Brockhampton Press]] of [[Leicester|Stenhousemuir]] in 1973.<ref name=LCC-darkness>[http://lccn.loc.gov/75327241 "When darkness comes"]. Library of Congress Online Catalog. Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref> He combined writing with teaching until 1980 when he took up writing full-time. He was still writing as of his 71st birthday (20 March 2010).


He first won the [[Red House Children's Book Award]] with ''[[Brother in the Land]]'' (1984), a novel set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] world. Swindells was a supporter of the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] and is quoted as saying that the work "... came out of my own anger and frustration ... you can't kill selectively with nuclear weapons, you wipe out millions of people ...". He won three more Red House awards for ''Room '' (13), ''Nightmare Stairs'' (Short novel, 1998) and ''Blitzed'' (Younger readers, 2003).
He first won the [[Children's Book Award (UK)|Red House Children's Book Award]] with ''[[Brother in the Land]]'' (1984), a novel set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] world. Swindells was a supporter of the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] and is quoted as saying that the work "... came out of my own anger and frustration ... you can't kill selectively with nuclear weapons, you wipe out millions of people ...". He won three more Red House awards for [[Room 13 (Swindells novel)|''Room 13'']] (1989), ''Nightmare Stairs'' (Short novel, 1998) and ''Blitzed'' (Younger readers, 2003).


In a 2010 [[by-election]] and in the 2011 [[local elections]], Swindells stood as the [[Green Party of England and Wales]] candidate for the [[Worth Valley]] ward of [[Bradford City Council]]. In 2010, he took 11% of the vote, putting him in third place.<ref name=bradford>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BDEFEE7A-A66E-461E-8924-7CC2D0899C0B/0/RESULTOFPOLL.pdf |title=Bradford City Council Worth Valley By-election results |publisher=Bradford City Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403002559/http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BDEFEE7A-A66E-461E-8924-7CC2D0899C0B/0/RESULTOFPOLL.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-03|url-status=dead }}</ref>
In a 2010 [[by-election]] and in the 2011 [[local elections]], Swindells stood as the [[Green Party of England and Wales]] candidate for the [[Worth Valley]] ward of [[Bradford City Council]]. In 2010, he took 11% of the vote, putting him in third place.<ref name=bradford>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BDEFEE7A-A66E-461E-8924-7CC2D0899C0B/0/RESULTOFPOLL.pdf |title=Bradford City Council Worth Valley By-election results |publisher=Bradford City Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403002559/http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BDEFEE7A-A66E-461E-8924-7CC2D0899C0B/0/RESULTOFPOLL.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-03|url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Selected works==
==Awards==
⚫
Swindells has won several annual book awards.
⚫
* 1985 [[Children's Book Award (UK)|Red House Children's Book Award]], ''[[Brother in the Land]]''<ref name="redhouse">[http://www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk/winners/pastwinners "Past Winners"]. Red House Book Award. Retrieved 24 November 2012.</ref>
⚫
* 1990 [[Children's Book Award (UK)|Red House Children's Book Award]], ''[[Room 13 (Swindells novel)|Room 13]]''<ref name="redhouse" />
⚫
* 1993 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]], ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone Cold]]''<ref name=medal1993/>
⚫
* 1998 [[Children's Book Award (UK)|Red House Children's Book Award]] Short Novel, ''Nightmare Stairs''<ref name="redhouse" />
⚫
* 1998 [[Angus Book Award]], ''Unbeliever''<ref name=angus>[http://www.angus.gov.uk/bookaward/previouswinners.htm "Angus Book Award: Previous Shortlists and Winners"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607230548/http://www.angus.gov.uk/bookaward/previouswinners.htm |date=7 June 2007 }}. Angus Council. Retrieved 24 November 2012.</ref>
⚫
* 2003 [[Children's Book Award (UK)|Red House Children's Book Award]] Younger Readers, ''Blitzed''<ref name="redhouse" />

⚫
;Runners up, etc.
⚫
* 1984 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] high commendation, ''Brother in the Land''<ref name=ccsu/>{{efn |name=HC}}
⚫
* 2001 [[Hampshire Book Awards|Hampshire Book Award]] shortlist, ''Ruby Tanya''<ref>[http://www3.hants.gov.uk/sls/sls-readerpromotion/hampshire-book-award.htm Hampshire Book Award] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825162233/http://www3.hants.gov.uk/sls/sls-readerpromotion/hampshire-book-award.htm |date=25 August 2007 }}. {{full citation needed |date=November 2012}}</ref>

== Selected works ==
{|
{|
|valign=top|
| valign="top" |
* ''When Darkness Comes'' (1973)<ref name=LCC-darkness/>
* ''When Darkness Comes'' (1973)<ref name="LCC-darkness" />
* ''A Candle in the Night'' (1974)
* ''A Candle in the Night'' (1974)
* ''Voyage to Valhalla'' (1976)
* ''Voyage to Valhalla'' (1976)
Line 28: Line 40:
* ''Staying Up'' (1986)
* ''Staying Up'' (1986)
* ''A Serpent's Tooth'' (1988)
* ''A Serpent's Tooth'' (1988)
|valign=top|
| valign="top" |
* ''[[Room 13 (Swindells novel)|Room 13]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Room 13 (Swindells novel)|Room 13]]'' (1989)
* ''Follow a Shadow (1989)
* ''Follow a Shadow (1989)''
* ''[[Daz 4 Zoe]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Daz 4 Zoe]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone Cold]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone Cold]]'' (1993)
Line 40: Line 52:
* ''Nightmare Stairs'' (1997)
* ''Nightmare Stairs'' (1997)
* ''Smash!'' (1997)
* ''Smash!'' (1997)
|valign=top|
| valign="top" |
* ''Hurricane Summer'' (1997)
* ''Hurricane Summer'' (1997)
* ''Abomination'' (1998)
* ''Abomination'' (1998)
Line 52: Line 64:
* ''Ruby Tanya'' (2004)
* ''Ruby Tanya'' (2004)
* ''Roger's War'' (2004)
* ''Roger's War'' (2004)
|valign=top|
| valign="top" |
* ''Branded'' (2005)
* ''Branded'' (2005)
* ''Snapshot'' (2005)
* ''Snapshot'' (2005)
Line 65: Line 77:
* ''The Ghosts of Givenham Mansion'' (2021)
* ''The Ghosts of Givenham Mansion'' (2021)
|}
|}

==Awards==
⚫
Swindells has won several annual book awards.
⚫
* 1985 [[Red House Children's Book Award]], ''[[Brother in the Land]]''<ref name="redhouse">[http://www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk/winners/pastwinners "Past Winners"]. Red House Book Award. Retrieved 24 November 2012.</ref>
⚫
* 1990 Red House Award, ''[[Room 13 (Swindells novel)|Room 13]]''<ref name="redhouse" />
⚫
* 1993 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]], ''[[Stone Cold (Swindells novel)|Stone Cold]]''<ref name=medal1993/>
⚫
* 1998 Red House Award for Short Novel, ''Nightmare Stairs''<ref name="redhouse" />
⚫
* 1998 [[Angus Book Award]], ''Unbeliever''<ref name=angus>[http://www.angus.gov.uk/bookaward/previouswinners.htm "Angus Book Award: Previous Shortlists and Winners"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607230548/http://www.angus.gov.uk/bookaward/previouswinners.htm |date=7 June 2007 }}. Angus Council. Retrieved 24 November 2012.</ref>
⚫
* 2003 Red House Award for Younger Readers, ''Blitzed''<ref name="redhouse" />

⚫
;Runners up, etc.
⚫
* 1984 Carnegie Medal high commendation, ''Brother in the Land''<ref name=ccsu/>{{efn |name=HC}}
⚫
* 2001 [[Hampshire Book Award]] shortlist, ''Ruby Tanya''<ref>[http://www3.hants.gov.uk/sls/sls-readerpromotion/hampshire-book-award.htm Hampshire Book Award]. {{full citation needed |date=November 2012}}</ref><!


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 19:01, 15 November 2024

Robert E. Swindells (born 20 March 1939) is an English author of children's and young adult fiction.

For the young-adult novel Stone Cold (Heinemann, 1993), which deals with homelessness, he won the annual Carnegie Medal from the CILIP, recognizing the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject.[1]

Biography

[edit]

Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Swindells worked for a newspaper after leaving school aged 15.[2] He served with the Royal Air Force and held various jobs before training as a Primary school teacher. While in training he wrote his first novel, When Darkness Comes, which was published by Brockhampton Press of Stenhousemuir in 1973.[3] He combined writing with teaching until 1980 when he took up writing full-time. He was still writing as of his 71st birthday (20 March 2010).

He first won the Red House Children's Book Award with Brother in the Land (1984), a novel set in a post-apocalyptic world. Swindells was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and is quoted as saying that the work "... came out of my own anger and frustration ... you can't kill selectively with nuclear weapons, you wipe out millions of people ...". He won three more Red House awards for Room 13 (1989), Nightmare Stairs (Short novel, 1998) and Blitzed (Younger readers, 2003).

In a 2010 by-election and in the 2011 local elections, Swindells stood as the Green Party of England and Wales candidate for the Worth Valley ward of Bradford City Council. In 2010, he took 11% of the vote, putting him in third place.[4]

Awards

[edit]

Swindells has won several annual book awards.

Runners up, etc.

Selected works

[edit]
  • When Darkness Comes (1973)[3]
  • A Candle in the Night (1974)
  • Voyage to Valhalla (1976)
  • Ice Palace (1977)
  • The Weather Clerk (1979)
  • Ghost Ship to Ganymede (1980)
  • World-Eater (1983)
  • Brother in the Land (1984)
  • The Thousand Eyes of Night (1985)
  • Staying Up (1986)
  • A Serpent's Tooth (1988)
  • Room 13 (1989)
  • Follow a Shadow (1989)
  • Daz 4 Zoe (1990)
  • Stone Cold (1993)
  • Timesnatch (1994)
  • Inside The Worm (1994)
  • Unbeliever (1995)
  • Jacqueline Hyde (1996)
  • The Last Bus (1996)
  • Nightmare Stairs (1997)
  • Smash! (1997)
  • Hurricane Summer (1997)
  • Abomination (1998)
  • Dosh (1999)
  • Invisible! (1999)
  • Doodlebug Alley (2000)
  • A Wish for Wings (2001)
  • Wrecked (2001)
  • Blitzed (2002)
  • No Angels (2003)
  • Ruby Tanya (2004)
  • Roger's War (2004)
  • Branded (2005)
  • Snapshot (2005)
  • Snakebite (2006)
  • In the Nick of Time (2007)
  • Burnout (2007)
  • The Shade of Hettie Daynes (2008)
  • The Tunnel (2008)
  • Blitzed (2008)
  • A Skull in Shadows Lane (2012)
  • The Deep End (2013)
  • The Ghosts of Givenham Mansion (2021)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Today there are usually eight books on the Carnegie shortlist. CCSU lists 32 "Highly Commended" runners up for the Carnegie Medal from 1966 to 2002 but only three before 1979 when the distinction became approximately annual. There were 29 "HC" books in 24 years including Swindells alone in 1984.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b (Carnegie Winner 1993) Archived 17 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. CILIP. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Robert Swindells". Bookbox. Channel 4 Learning. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b "When darkness comes". Library of Congress Online Catalog. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Bradford City Council Worth Valley By-election results" (PDF). Bradford City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d "Past Winners". Red House Book Award. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  6. ^ "Angus Book Award: Previous Shortlists and Winners" Archived 7 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Angus Council. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  7. ^ "Carnegie Medal Award". 2007(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  8. ^ Hampshire Book Award Archived 25 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. [full citation needed]
[edit]
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