John Dickinson (author)
Encyclopedia
John Geoffrey Hyett Dickinson (born June 1962) is an English author of young adult novels. His first novel, The Cup of the World, was published in 2004, and his latest novel (for adults), The Lightstep, was published in 2008.
Dickinson lives in Painswick
, Gloucestershire
.
and Mary Rose Barnard. He was educated at St Paul's School (London) and Trinity College, Oxford
, where he achieved a First in History. From 1985 to 1998 Dickinson worked at the Ministry of Defence
, during which time he was also seconded to the Cabinet Office
(1993–1995) and to the UK Delegation to NATO where he worked on the Membership Action Plans of the states that joined NATO in 2004. Dickinson left the MOD on a sabbatical in 2002 to become a full-time writer. He wrote two unpublished novels before the third, The Cup of the World, was published in 2004 by David Fickling Books
, an imprint of Random House
Children’s Books.
In 1992 Dickinson married Pippa Thomson. They have two children, born in 1994 and 1997.
The Cup of the World and its sequels follow a young woman, Phaedra, and subsequently her son, Ambrose, as they come to understand the forces of sin and retribution that have afflicted a small medieval kingdom since its founding. The writing style of The Cup of the World was described by Jan Mark
in The Guardian
as “detailed, glowing rich, and unforgettable.” Amanda Craig
wrote in The Times
that The Cup of the World and The Widow and the King were “The strangest novels I’ve come across since William Morris’s fairytales.”
His third published novel, The Lightstep (2008), is a historical novel for adults, set in eighteenth century Germany
. It tells the story of a former republican activist, Michel Wéry, who has become disillusioned by the atrocities of the French Revolution
and has become a spy for the aristocratic regime of a small German state.
Dickinson's science fiction novel, WE, was published on January 7, 2010. Philip Ardagh
, reviewing the book for The Guardian
newspaper, described the setting as "totally convincing and claustrophic" and that "...it is to Dickinson's credit that intellectual argument and internal conflict have been used to create such a strong driving force."
Dickinson lives in Painswick
Painswick
Painswick is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. Originally the town grew on the wool trade, but it is now best known for its parish church's yew trees and the local Rococo Garden. The town is mainly constructed of locally quarried Cotswold stone...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Background
John Dickinson is the eldest son of author Peter DickinsonPeter Dickinson
Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE is an English author and poet who has written a wide variety of books, notably children's books and detective stories, over a long and distinguished career.-Life and work:...
and Mary Rose Barnard. He was educated at St Paul's School (London) and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, where he achieved a First in History. From 1985 to 1998 Dickinson worked at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, during which time he was also seconded to the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
(1993–1995) and to the UK Delegation to NATO where he worked on the Membership Action Plans of the states that joined NATO in 2004. Dickinson left the MOD on a sabbatical in 2002 to become a full-time writer. He wrote two unpublished novels before the third, The Cup of the World, was published in 2004 by David Fickling Books
David Fickling Books
David Fickling Books is an imprint of Random House which has published books by authors including Philip Pullman, Mark Haddon, John Boyne, Nick Ward and Linda Newbery.-List of Books Published:-References:...
, an imprint of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Children’s Books.
In 1992 Dickinson married Pippa Thomson. They have two children, born in 1994 and 1997.
Interests
In his blog Dickinson lists his interests as “household cook, a struggling tenor and treasurer for the parish church.”Writing style/themes
Dickinson has written three fantasy novels, The Cup of the World (2004), The Widow and the King (2005) and The Fatal Child (2008), which are primarily for young adults. The Cup of the World and The Widow and the King have been published in the United States and Brazil as well as in the UK. The Cup of the World has also been published in Thailand.The Cup of the World and its sequels follow a young woman, Phaedra, and subsequently her son, Ambrose, as they come to understand the forces of sin and retribution that have afflicted a small medieval kingdom since its founding. The writing style of The Cup of the World was described by Jan Mark
Jan Mark
Jan Mark was a British author, best known as a writer for children. She was christened Janet Marjorie Brisland in Welwyn Garden City in 1943 and was raised and educated in Kent. She was a secondary school teacher between 1965 and 1971, and became a full-time writer in 1974. She wrote over fifty...
in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
as “detailed, glowing rich, and unforgettable.” Amanda Craig
Amanda Craig
Amanda Craig is a British novelist. Craig studied at Bedales School and Cambridge and works as a journalist. She is married with two children and lives in London....
wrote in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
that The Cup of the World and The Widow and the King were “The strangest novels I’ve come across since William Morris’s fairytales.”
His third published novel, The Lightstep (2008), is a historical novel for adults, set in eighteenth century Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It tells the story of a former republican activist, Michel Wéry, who has become disillusioned by the atrocities of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and has become a spy for the aristocratic regime of a small German state.
Dickinson's science fiction novel, WE, was published on January 7, 2010. Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh is an English children's author, primarily known for the Eddie Dickens series of books. He has written more than 70 books including adult fiction and children's non-fiction....
, reviewing the book for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper, described the setting as "totally convincing and claustrophic" and that "...it is to Dickinson's credit that intellectual argument and internal conflict have been used to create such a strong driving force."
The Cup of the World
- The Cup of the World (2004)
- The Widow and the King (2005)
- The Fatal Child (2008)