Robert Westall

Children's Author

Birthday October 7, 1929

Birth Sign Libra

Birthplace England

DEATH DATE Apr 15, 1993 (63)

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About

A 20th-century English author of historical children's fiction, he is best known for his World War II novel, The Machine Gunners, which won the 1975 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association. His other popular works include The Scarecrows (1981) and Blitzcat (1989).

Before Fame

His Machine Gunners book, about a group of children who find a crashed German airplane with a working machine gun, was adapted for screen and radio by the BBC.

Trivia

He received numerous awards for his children's literature; his 1990 work, The Kingdom by the Sea, won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

Family Life

He grew up in North Shields, Northumberland. His home region served as the setting of many of his books.

Associated With

His Blackham's Wimpy story, about Royal Air Force bomber crews, inspired Hayao Miyazaki's A Trip to Tynemouth.