Robert Swindells
Encyclopedia
Robert E. "Bob" Swindells (born 20 March 1939) is an English author
of children's
and young adult literature
.
, Yorkshire
, Swindells worked for a newspaper after leaving school aged 15. He served with the Royal Air Force
and held various jobs before training as a primary school teacher. His first novel, When Darkness Comes (1973), was written while he was still in training. Swindells combined writing with teaching until 1980 when he took up writing full-time. He is still writing as of his 71st birthday (March 20, 2010).
He first won the 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 ...". Swindells also won the award for Room 13 (1990), Nightmare Stairs (Short novel, 1998) and Blitzed (Younger readers, 2003). His young adult novel Stone Cold (1993), which dealt with homelessness, won the Carnegie Medal
in 1993.
In a 2010 by-election
and in the 2011 local elections, Robert stood as the Green Party candidate for the Worth Valley
ward of Bradford City Council. In 2010, he took 11% of the vote, putting him in third place.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of children's
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
and young adult literature
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
.
Biography
Born in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Swindells worked for a newspaper after leaving school aged 15. He served with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and held various jobs before training as a primary school teacher. His first novel, When Darkness Comes (1973), was written while he was still in training. Swindells combined writing with teaching until 1980 when he took up writing full-time. He is still writing as of his 71st birthday (March 20, 2010).
He first won the Children's Book Award
Red House Children's Book Award
The Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981...
with Brother in the Land
Brother in the Land
Brother in the Land is a 1984 post-apocalyptic novel by Robert E. "Bob" Swindells. It follows a teenage boy as he fights for survival following a nuclear attack on his home...
(1984), a novel set in a post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
world. Swindells was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
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 ...". Swindells also won the award for Room 13 (1990), Nightmare Stairs (Short novel, 1998) and Blitzed (Younger readers, 2003). His young adult novel Stone Cold (1993), which dealt with homelessness, won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
in 1993.
In a 2010 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
and in the 2011 local elections, Robert stood as the Green Party candidate for the Worth Valley
Worth Valley
Worth Valley is a ward on the western extremity of the Bradford Metropolitan District area. In the north it is bounded by North Yorkshire, in the west by Lancashire and in the south by Calderdale District. It contains the Keighley villages of Oakworth, Oldfield, Haworth, Cross Roads, Oxenhope and...
ward of Bradford City Council. In 2010, he took 11% of the vote, putting him in third place.
Selected bibliography
- When Darkness Comes To Day (1973)
- A Candle in the Night (1974)
- Voyage to Valhalla (1976)
- The Ice Palace (1977)
- The Weather Clerk (1979)
- Ghost Ship to Ganymede (1980)
- World-Eater (1983)
- Brother in the LandBrother in the LandBrother in the Land is a 1984 post-apocalyptic novel by Robert E. "Bob" Swindells. It follows a teenage boy as he fights for survival following a nuclear attack on his home...
(1984) - The Thousand Eyes of Night (1985)
- Staying Up (1986)
- A Serpent's Tooth (1988)
- Room 13Room 13Room 13 is a 1989 horror novel by Robert Swindells. It won the Children's Book Award in 1990.- Plot summary:Felicity 'Fliss' Morgan has a nightmare on the night before her school trip to Whitby; however, on the trip and upon arriving a series of strange events occur, in which she turns purely awesome...
(1989) - Daz 4 ZoeDaz 4 ZoeDaz 4 Zoe is a young-adult novel by Robert Swindells. It follows the story of a 'subbie' named Zoe and a 'chippy' named Daz....
(1990) - Stone Cold (1993)
- Timesnatch (1994)
- Unbeliever (1995)
- Jacqueline Hyde (1996)
- The Last Bus (1996)
- Nightmare Stairs (1997)
- Smash! (1997)
- Hurricane Summer (1997)
- AbominationAbomination (novel)Abomination is a novel by the author Robert Swindells, dealing with themes of religious extremism, adolescence, bullying, and relationships, as well as integrating the intriguing question of what its title refers to.Plot...
(1998) - Dosh (1999)
- Invisible!Invisible!Invisible is a novel written from the Carneigie Medal-Winning Author, Robert Swindells about two twins, Carrie and Conrad become invisible after be-friending with a new girl at school Rosie, which they eventually then from a gang called The Inchlake Invisibles Rosie's dad becomes a suspect in a...
(2000) - 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 TimeIn The Nick Of TimeIn the Nick of Time is a 1991 Christmas television film directed by George T. Miller.-Plot:The old Santa Claus has seven days to find the new Santa Claus and pass the torch to him. The only problem is the new Santa Claus is a curmudgeon who lost his wife and his will to live...
(2007) - Burnout (2007)
- The Shade of Hettie Daynes (2008)
- The TunnelThe Tunnel (novel)The Tunnel is William H. Gass's 1995 magnum opus that took 26 years to write and earned him the American Book Award of 1996. It was also a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award....
(2008) - Blitzed (2008)
Awards and nominations
- 1985 Brother in the LandBrother in the LandBrother in the Land is a 1984 post-apocalyptic novel by Robert E. "Bob" Swindells. It follows a teenage boy as he fights for survival following a nuclear attack on his home...
won the Red House Children's Book AwardRed House Children's Book AwardThe Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981... - 1990 Room 13Room 13Room 13 is a 1989 horror novel by Robert Swindells. It won the Children's Book Award in 1990.- Plot summary:Felicity 'Fliss' Morgan has a nightmare on the night before her school trip to Whitby; however, on the trip and upon arriving a series of strange events occur, in which she turns purely awesome...
won the Red House Children's Book AwardRed House Children's Book AwardThe Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981... - 1993 Stone Cold won the Carnegie MedalCarnegie MedalThe Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
- 1998 Nightmare Stairs won the Red House Children's Book AwardRed House Children's Book AwardThe Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981...
for A Short Novel - 1998 Unbeliever won the Angus Book AwardAngus Book AwardThe Angus Book Award is a literary award for UK authors of teenage fiction. It is awarded by Angus Council in Scotland. The award is decided by the votes of the secondary schools in Angus. The pupils host the awards every year. The ceremony is hosted by a different school each year...
- 2003 Blitzed won the Red House Children's Book AwardRed House Children's Book AwardThe Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981...
For Younger Readers - 2006 Branded longlisted for the Manchester Book AwardManchester Book AwardThe Manchester Book Award is a project run in Manchester, UK, organised by School Services at the Manchester Library & Information Service; it is funded by the Working Neighbourhoods Fund. The project is currently in its fourth year....
- '2001 Ruby Tanya shortlisted for the Hampshire Book Award
External links
- Biography and Quotations at Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
website. - Biography at BBC7's Big Toe Radio Show
- Biography, Interviews and Reviews at Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Bookbox - Robert Swindells at Fantastic Fiction