British children's author and novelist whose best known works include The Witch's Daughter, Carrie's War, and The Peppermint Pig. She was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1987, and was also shortlisted for the Lost Man Booker Prize 23 years later.
She studied politics, economics, and philosophy at Somerville College, Oxford.
She was the 2004 recipient of the Golden PEN Award for her literary work.
She had two sons with her first husband, Harry Bawden. Following her divorce, she married BBC reporter Austen Kark, with whom she had a daughter.
She and fellow author, Shirley Hazzard, both wrote works that were shortlisted in 1987 for the prestigious Lost Man Booker Prize.
