Kilworth, Garry

Garry Kilworth’s first novel was published by Faber and Faber — In Solitary — a science fiction novel. He has written SF and fantasy novels, film novelisations such as Highlander, historical war novels set in the Crimean War (as ‘Garry Douglas’) and general fiction, such as Witchwater Country and In the Hollow of the Deep-Sea Wave. As ‘FK Salwood’, he’s indulged in historical novels about country matters. Garry likes to do something different each time, so if you want an author who has a string of books set in the same world with the same characters you’re in the wrong part of the library. In 1980, Garry began writing children’s books and this has become a major part of his output. The themes remain science fiction, fantasy, ghost stories and imaginative and speculative material, though — as with his adult books — there are some straight fiction novels amongst them. He goes into the schools to give talks to the kids about writers and writing and finds them both receptive and bright, even in so-called ‘failing’ schools. Students ask a lot of searching questions and Garry has to give sensible answers or they boo him. It’s good fun and he learns a lot. In all Garry’s been short-listed for about two dozen awards. He won the British Science Fiction Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Interzone Magazine poll for the best short story for “The Ragthorn”, which was written in collaboration with Robert Holdstock. Garry had previously won the Interzone Magazine award for “The Sculptor”. He has been twice short-listed for the children’s Carnegie Medal and has won the Lancashire ‘Children’s Book of the Year Award’ (which is judged by kids so it’s doubly relevant).