Alan Garner was born and still lives in Cheshire, an area which has had a profound effect on his writing and provided the seed of many ideas worked out in his books. His fourth book, 'The Owl Service' brought Alan Garner to everyone's attention. It won two important literary prizes -- The Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal -- and was made into a serial by Granada Television. It has established itself as a classic and Alan Garner as a writer of great distinction.
“Funny and wise” Cressida Cowell, author of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Praise for The Phantom Tollbooth: ‘An altogether remarkable book, one that should delight any bright child, and that will be no burden for a parent to read aloud. Related with unflagging wit and a marvellous sense of the fun to be had with words, this book will be enjoyed by children for years to come.’ Spectator Praise for Elidor: ‘Each detail, ordinary or sinister, establishes atmosphere, background or character exactly. Elidor is a remarkable book: intelligent, rich and terrifying.’ TLS Praise for The Sword in the Stone: ‘One of the most significant books in my life…One of the greatest and most influential fantasy novels of the last hundred years.” Garth Nix