Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna in 1925 and moved to England with her father when the Nazis came to power. She wrote more than twenty books for children and young adults, many of which garnered nominations for major awards for children's literature in the UK, including the Nestle Smarties Book Prize and the Whitbread Prize. Imaginative and humorous, Eva's books often convey her love of nature, in particular the Austrian countryside, which is evident in works such as The Star of Kazan and A Song for Summer. Eva passed away at her home in Newcastle on 20 October 2010. Her final book, One Boy and His Dog, was published in May 2011.
Her books are utterly delightful * Daily Mail * The late Ibbotson's words live on in this atmospheric collection of wintery short stories. Lonely dreamers, ballerinas and a Christmas angel. * The i newspaper * This lovely collection of short stories are typical of Ibbotson's novels. They're full of giddy romance, soul-stirring description of Old Vienna, handsome and intriguing men and girls who have a lot of feelings. Absolute bliss in other words! -- Sarra Manning * Red online * Discovering Eva Ibbotson's books is one of the nicest things that's ever happened to me. The most beautiful, delicious, wry read -- Marian Keyes Eva Ibbotson is such a good writer that her characters break the bonds of the romantic novel. * Washington Post Book Review *