Geraldine McCaughrean

Geraldine McCaughrean is an award-winning British children's novelist with an extensive body of work that spans over 170 books.

Geraldine McCaughrean was born in 1951 in North London. Her father was a fireman, and her mother was a teacher. She attended Christ Church College of Education in Canterbury. Later, McCaughrean recalled being inspired by her older brother, who had his first published book at 14. Her shy nature as a child led her to explore adventures through her imagination and storytelling.

McCaughrean had a decade-long career in a London publishing house before becoming a full-time writer in 1988. She once shared, "I have written more than one hundred and seventy books, mostly for children, some for adults; also a play for radio about trawlers sinking and sixty plus plays; (I love drama). Maybe you'd like to act some of them."

Her writing includes adult novels like Fires’ Astonishment (1990) and The Ideal Wife (1997). However, her renown predominantly stems from her contributions to children's literature.

McCaughrean has penned works for diverse age groups, including first readers, picture books, and novels. Notably, she has won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award three times with titles such as A Little Lower than the Angels (1987), Gold Dust (1993), and Not the End of the World (2004).

McCaughrean's talent shines in her retelling of classic tales and myths. She has reimagined stories like The Canterbury Tales (1984), The Odyssey (1993), and Moby Dick (1996), along with collections such as The Orchard Book of Greek Myths (1992) and The Orchard Book of Roman Myths (1999).

In 2005, McCaughrean was entrusted with writing Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006), the official sequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Reflecting on her career, McCaughrean remarked, "Now I stay home all day and write. It's great, but it still seems odd to earn a living by having so much fun."

Geraldine McCaughrean lives in Berkshire.

Photo credit: www.geraldinemccaughrean.co.uk