Peter Dickinson

Peter Dickinson (1927–2015) was an English author celebrated for his contributions to children's literature and detective fiction. Born in Northern Rhodesia, he developed a love for adventure stories and authors like Kipling from a young age, which influenced his writing. After attending schools in England and Cambridge University, Dickinson worked for Punch magazine for seventeen years before becoming a full-time author. His prolific career resulted in nearly fifty books across various genres, including crime novels for adults and speculative fiction for young readers.

Dickinson achieved significant recognition for his work, notably winning the Carnegie Medal twice for his children's books 'Tulku' and 'City of Gold.' He also received the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for 'The Blue Hawk' and was a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. His adult mystery novels, such as 'Skin Deep' and 'A Pride of Heroes,' also garnered critical acclaim, winning the Crime Writers' Association's Gold Dagger award. Dickinson's literary archive is preserved at Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books.

Peter Dickinson's extensive body of work, totaling nearly fifty books, can be broadly categorized into crime fiction for adults, speculative and supernatural fiction for older children, and simpler children's books. His adult crime novels, including the James Pibble series, earned him the Crime Writers' Association's Gold Dagger award for his first two entries, 'Skin Deep' and 'A Pride of Heroes.' For younger audiences, Dickinson explored fantastical and sometimes supernatural themes, as seen in his 'Changes' trilogy, which was adapted into a BBC television series. His collection 'Chance, Luck and Destiny' delved into themes of probability and coincidence, earning the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for nonfiction. Dickinson also retold Old Testament stories in 'City of Gold and other stories from the Old Testament,' presenting them in a 'before the Bible was written down' context. His later works included collaborations with his wife, Robin McKinley, on collections like 'Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits' and 'Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits.'

Dickinson was a highly decorated author, particularly for his children's literature. He is one of only eight writers to have won the prestigious Carnegie Medal twice, receiving it in consecutive years for 'Tulku' (1979) and 'City of Gold' (1980). His novel 'The Blue Hawk' won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1977. Dickinson was also a highly commended runner-up for the Carnegie Medal for 'Eva' (1988), which later won the Phoenix Award in 2008. He was recognized internationally as a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2000, the highest honor for children's writers. Furthermore, 'The Seventh Raven' earned him the Phoenix Award in 2001, and 'The Kin' was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award. His nonfiction work 'Chance, Luck and Destiny' received the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

Born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1927, Peter Dickinson's early life was shaped by his father's colonial service and his own childhood fascination with tales of knights and explorers, citing authors like Kipling as significant influences. His family relocated to England, where he attended preparatory and public schools, including Saint Ronan's and Eton College. After national service, he studied at Cambridge University. Dickinson spent seventeen years as an assistant editor, resident poet, and reviewer for Punch magazine before dedicating himself fully to writing. He was married twice, first to Mary Rose Barnard, with whom he had four children, and later to author Robin McKinley. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Dickinson passed away on his 88th birthday in 2015.