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Gillian Cross

ジリアン・クロス

Jirian Kurosu

Aliases: Gillian Clare Arnold

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1945-12-24 (London)
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Residence History
London → Oxford → Brighton

Career

Occupations
author, children's novelist
Active Years
1979-2024
Nominations
Carnegie Medal Highly Commended 1982 The Dark Behind the Curtain, Carnegie Medal Shortlist 1999 Tightrope, Carnegie Medal Nominee 2011 Where I Belong

Education

North London Collegiate School
Country: United Kingdom
Attended as a girl
Somerville College, Oxford
English
Degree: BA (First-class honours)
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: United Kingdom
MA取得 1972年
University of Sussex
Degree: PhD
Year of Graduation: 1974
Country: United Kingdom

Awards

Carnegie Medal
1990
Work: Wolf
Organization: CILIP
Result: Winner
Whitbread Award for Children's Novel
1992
Work: The Great Elephant Chase
Organization: Whitbread
Result: Winner
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
1992
Work: The Great Elephant Chase
Category: 9-11歳部門 / 全体
Organization: Nestlé
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Wolf

1990 Children's fiction

An English boy obsessed with playing the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood connects with a German girl, exploring themes of storytelling and identity.

power of storiesidentityfamily

The Great Elephant Chase

1992 Historical adventure

In 1882 America, young Tad helps an elephant named Mary escape to freedom on a cross-country journey.

adventurefreedomfriendship

The Demon Headmaster

1982 Children's sci-fi thriller

Children battle a sinister headmaster who controls their school with mind control in this series opener.

schoolresistancemind control
Adaptations
  • [TV series] The Demon Headmaster (1996)
  • [TV series] The Demon Headmaster (2019)

Chartbreak

1986 Children's fiction

A story about music, fame, and friendship.

musicfame

Tightrope

1999 Children's fiction

A tense family drama likened to tightrope walking.

familysuspense

Bibliography

  • The Runaway (1979)
  • The Iron Way (1979)
  • Revolt at Ratcliffe's Rags (1979)
  • A Whisper of Lace (1981)
  • The Dark Behind the Curtain (1982)
  • The Demon Headmaster (1982)
  • The Prime Minister's Brain (1985)
  • The Revenge of the Demon Headmaster (1994)
  • The Demon Headmaster Strikes Again (1996)
  • The Demon Headmaster Takes Over (1997)
  • Facing the Demon Headmaster (2002)
  • Total Control (2017)
  • Mortal Danger (2019)
  • Born of the Sun (1983)
  • On the Edge (1984)
  • Swimathon! (1986)
  • Chartbreak (1986)
  • Roscoe's Leap (1987)
  • A Map of Nowhere (1988)
  • Rescuing Gloria (1989)
  • Wolf (1990)
  • Twin and Super-Twin (1990)
  • The Mintyglo Kid (1991)
  • Gobbo the Great (1991)
  • Rent-a-Genius (1991)
  • Save Our School (1991)
  • The Great Elephant Chase (1992)
  • The Tree House (1993)
  • The Furry Maccaloo (1993)
  • Beware Olga! (1993)
  • What Will Emily Do? (1994)
  • New World (1994)
  • The Crazy Shoe Shuffle (1995)
  • Posh Watson (1995)
  • Pictures in the Dark (1996)
  • The Roman Beanfeast (1996)
  • The Goose Girl (1998)
  • Tightrope (1999)
  • Down with the Dirty Danes! (2000)
  • Calling a Dead Man (2001)
  • The Treasure in the Mud (2001)
  • The Dark Ground (2004)
  • The Black Room (2005)
  • The Nightmare Game (2006)
  • Sam Sorts It Out (2005)
  • Brother Aelred's Feet (2007)
  • Where I Belong (2007)
  • After Tomorrow (2013)
  • Shadow Cat (2015)

Adaptations

  • The Demon Headmaster BBC TV series (1996, 2019)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
engaging narrative voiceblend of thriller and adventurechild-centered perspective
Recurring Motifs
school lifetransformation/wolveschase/escape

Legacy

Award-winning British children's author, Carnegie Medal winner for Wolf. The Demon Headmaster series adapted into popular BBC TV shows. Known for tackling social issues and psychological depth.

In Popular Culture

  • Demon Headmaster series popular on TV

Trivia

  • Married Martin Cross on 10 May 1967; four children
  • Contested 2024 Dorset Council election as Labour Party candidate for Beacon ward
  • Patron of Cord charity since 2014