World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Robin McKinley

ジェニファー・キャロリン・ロビン・マッキンリー

Robin McKinley

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1952-11-16 （Warren, Ohio, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
California → New York (state) → Japan → Maine → United Kingdom (resident)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Author
Active Years
1978-

Education

Gould Academy
Country: United States
Attended preparatory school.
Dickinson College
Period: 1970-1972
Country: United States
Attended 1970–1972; no degree specified in source.
Bowdoin College
Degree: Bachelor's (summa cum laude)
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: United States
Graduated summa cum laude in 1975.

Awards

Newbery Honor
1983
Work: The Blue Sword
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
Newbery Medal
1985
Work: The Hero and the Crown
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award (Best Anthology/Collection)
1986
Work: Imaginary Lands (as editor)
Category: アンソロジー/コレクション
Organization: World Fantasy Convention
Result: 受賞
Phoenix Award Honor Book
1998
Work: Beauty
Organization: Children's Literature Association (associated)
Result: オナー
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature
2004
Work: Sunshine
Organization: Mythopoeic Society
Result: 受賞
SFWA Grand Master (Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master)
2022
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
Result: 栄誉

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

1978 Fairy tale retelling, Children's literature, Fantasy

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast focusing on the heroine's growth and agency.

coming of agelove and devotionfemale agency

The Blue Sword

1982 Fantasy, Bildungsroman

A young woman grows through adventure and training, accepting her destiny and responsibilities.

growthdutycourage

The Hero and the Crown

1984 Fantasy, Adventure

A tale with chivalry and magic elements in which a young woman becomes the hero who saves her country. Newbery Medal winner.

heroismmagicself-sacrifice

Deerskin

1993 Dark fantasy, fairy tale motifs

A weighty tale based on folktale motifs, dealing with identity, corporeality, and recovery from trauma.

traumarebirthself-recognition

Sunshine

2003 Dark fantasy, Urban fantasy

A dark urban fantasy set in a contemporary city, exploring strength and vulnerability through the protagonist's encounters with vampiric presences. Mythopoeic Award winner.

identitytrust and betrayalrecovery

Bibliography

  • Beauty (1978)
  • The Blue Sword (1982)
  • The Hero and the Crown (1984)
  • The Door in the Hedge (short story collection, 1981)
  • Deerskin (1993)
  • Sunshine (2003)
  • Dragonhaven (2007)
  • Chalice (2008)
  • Spindle's End (2000)
  • Shadows (2013)

Adaptations

  • Tales from the Jungle Book (retellings, 1985)
  • Black Beauty storybook edition (retelling, 1986)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, detailed prose rooted in fairy-tale retellingsstrong focus on female protagonists
Recurring Motifs
coming-of-age and independencetransformation (via magic or rites)loyalty and duty

Legacy

Robin McKinley is known for her fairy-tale retellings and fantasy works that emphasize female protagonists. A Newbery Medal winner, she is highly regarded for bridging children's literature and fantasy.

Academic Societies

  • Mythopoeic Society
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA)

Archives

  • Library of Congress (related catalogue records)
  • Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) records

Quotes

  • I feel very strongly about the potential for girls to be "doing things."
    Source: Interview/Author profile (summary) (2004)

Trivia

  • Full name: Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley.
  • Married author Peter Dickinson in 1991; he died in 2015. The couple had no children together.
  • Grew up in various locations worldwide, including a period in Japan.
  • Notable works include The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword, and Beauty.