Carnegie Medal for Writing
2 appearances
-
Edition 40 (1975) Winner
-
Edition 46 (1981) Winner
Robert Westall
ロバート・ウェスタル
Robāto Wesutaru
Aliases:
Robert Atkinson Westall
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1929-10-07 （North Shields, Northumberland）
- Died
- 1993-04-15 （Warrington） age 63
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- North Shields, Tyneside (childhood) → Northwich, Cheshire (teaching) → Davenham (antiques) → Lymm (later years)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Teacher, Art teacher, Art critic, Antiques dealer
- Active Years
- 1975-1993
- Affiliations
- Sir John Deane's Grammar School (Head of Art and Head of Careers), Samaritans (branch director, 1966-1975)
- Memberships
- Writers' circle in Lymm (1988-1993)
- Nominations
- Carnegie Medal 1978 The Devil on the Road (commended runner-up), Carnegie Medal 1990 The Kingdom by the Sea (highly commended runner-up), Carnegie Medal 1992 Gulf (highly commended runner-up), Boston Globe–Horn Book Award 1977 The Machine Gunners (Honor Book), Boston Globe–Horn Book Award 1982 The Scarecrows (Honor Book)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham University | Fine Art | — | Bachelor's degree in Fine Art | — | United Kingdom |
| Slade School of Art | — | Sculpture | Post-graduate degree | — | United Kingdom |
Durham University
Fine Art
Degree:
Bachelor's degree in Fine Art
Country:
United Kingdom
Earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art
Slade School of Art
Sculpture
Degree:
Post-graduate degree
Year of Graduation:
1957
Country:
United Kingdom
Post-graduate degree in sculpture
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Carnegie Medal | The Machine Gunners | 児童書 | Library Association | winner |
| 1981 | Carnegie Medal | The Scarecrows | 児童書 | Library Association | winner |
| 1989 | Nestlé Smarties Book Prize | Blitzcat | 9-11歳部門 | Nestlé | winner |
| 1991 | Guardian Children's Fiction Prize | The Kingdom by the Sea | — | The Guardian | winner |
| 1991 | Dracula Society Children of the Night Award | The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral | — | Dracula Society | winner |
Carnegie Medal
1975
Work:
The Machine Gunners
Category:
児童書
Organization:
Library Association
Result:
winner
Carnegie Medal
1981
Work:
The Scarecrows
Category:
児童書
Organization:
Library Association
Result:
winner
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
1989
Work:
Blitzcat
Category:
9-11歳部門
Organization:
Nestlé
Result:
winner
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
1991
Work:
The Kingdom by the Sea
Organization:
The Guardian
Result:
winner
Dracula Society Children of the Night Award
1991
Work:
The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral
Organization:
Dracula Society
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (1989) Winner
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 25 (1991) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Machine Gunners
1975 Children's literature, War novelDuring WWII, English children find a crashed German bomber with a machine gun and embark on adventures.
World War IIChildhood adventureFriendshipRealities of war
Adaptations
- [Television] The Machine Gunners (1983)
- [Radio] The Machine Gunners (2002)
The Scarecrows
1981 Children's literature, HorrorA story dealing with complex, dark themes.
AdolescenceRevengeHorror
Blitzcat
1989 Children's literature, War novelWWII story from a cat's perspective.
World War IIAnimal perspectiveFamily
The Kingdom by the Sea
1990 Children's literatureStory of war and adventure.
WarLossGrowth
Gulf
1992 Children's literature, War novelHome front during the Persian Gulf War.
Gulf WarFamilyPacifism
Bibliography
- The Machine Gunners
- The Wind Eye
- The Watch House
- The Devil on the Road
- Fathom Five
- The Scarecrows
- Break of Dark
- Futuretrack Five
- The Haunting of Chas McGill
- Blitzcat
- The Kingdom by the Sea
- Gulf
Adaptations
- Several works adapted for BBC radio and television
Translations of Works
- Translated into 17 languages (per WorldCat)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realistic war depictionsDark, complex adult themes in YA fictionBlend of horror and drama
- Recurring Motifs
- World War IIAdolescent strugglesGhosts and supernaturalWar trauma
Health
-
Pneumonia1993年Caused respiratory failure leading to death
Legacy
Dean of British war novelists for children and YA. Won Carnegie Medal twice, plus Smarties Prize and Guardian Prize. Drew from WWII experiences for dark, realistic stories. Works in 17 languages; papers at Seven Stories.
Archives
- Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books
In Popular Culture
- Hayao Miyazaki's animated short 'A Trip to Tynemouth' (2006) based on 'Blackham's Wimpy' from 'Break of Dark'.
- Blue plaque at birthplace in North Shields; Westall Walk trail.
Trivia
- Grew up on Tyneside during WWII, inspiring many settings.
- Son Christopher died age 18 in 1978 motorbike accident, inspiring 'The Devil on the Road'.
- Tried antiques dealing after retiring from teaching.
- Memorial service at All Saints' Church, Thelwall in 1993.