Siobhan Dowd
Encyclopedia
Siobhan Dowd was a British writer and activist.
in south London and earned a BA Hons degree in Classics
from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University and an MA
with distinction from Greenwich University
in Gender and Ethnic Studies.
In 1984, she joined the writer's organisation International PEN
, initially as a researcher for its Writers in Prison Committee and later as Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work there included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee (USA) and travelling to Indonesia
and Guatemala
to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year stay in New York, Dowd was named one of the "top 100 Irish-Americans" by Irish-America Magazine and AerLingus, for her global anti-censorship work
On her return to the UK, Dowd co-founded, with Rachel Billington, English PEN's readers and writers program. The program takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender
's institutions and community projects. During 2004, Dowd served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire
, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.
Before her death from breast cancer, the Siobhan Dowd Trust was established, wherein the proceeds from her literary work will be used to assist disadvantaged children with their reading skills.
An invitation by Tony Bradman
to contribute a story about an Irish “Pavee” (gypsy/traveller) to his collection of short stories for children about racism, Skin Deep (Puffin, 2004), led to a new career as an author of children's books. Dowd was inspired by this success to continue writing for children and developed close friendships with two established children's authors, Lee Weatherly and Fiona Dunbar. They would meet regularly to chat about their work and discuss children's literature.
A Swift Pure Cry
, Dowd's first novel, was published by David Fickling Books
, an imprint of Random House Children's Books
, in March 2006. It was long-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and short-listed for the Booktrust Teenage Prize
, the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize
, the Sheffield Children's Book Award, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, the CBI Bisto Book of the Year Award. It was also on the Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2007
. In May 2007, Dowd was awarded the Children's Book Ireland Eilís Dillon Award (sponsored by Bisto), and in June 2007 she was awarded the Branford Boase Award
.
The London Eye Mystery
was Dowd's second novel. It was published by David Fickling Books in June 2007. In September 2007 it won the NASEN/TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award, was longlisted for the 2008 Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for 2008 Red House Children's Book Award, 2008 Doncaster Book Award, 2008 Southwark Schools Book Award. In May 2008, Dowd was posthumously awarded the €10,000 Bisto Book of the Year prize for The London Eye Mystery and in January 2009 it won the Salford Children's Book Award.
At the time of her death, she had completed two further novels: Bog Child
was published in February 2008, which was short-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and in 2009 won the Carnegie Medal. Solace of the Road was published in January 2009. It was shortlisted for both the Guardian's Children's Fiction Prize and Costa Book Award in 2009.
Siobhan had also started another story for young adults before her untimely death. "She had the characters, a detailed premise, and a beginning. What she didn't have, unfortunately, was time". This story was then completed by Patrick Ness
, acclaimed author of the Chaos Walking trilogy
for young adults. The book is entitled 'A Monster Calls' and features illustrations by Jim Kay. The plot features a young boy coming to terms with his mother's long suffering terminal illness and was published in May 2011.
. They married in March 2001 in Wales
.
In September 2004, Dowd was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. In spite of this, she continued to write prolifically. In her last year of life she developed a friendship with the children's author Meg Rosoff
, another victim of breast cancer.
. She was interred in the graveyard at St Margaret's Church in Binsey, Oxfordshire
.
Biography
Siobhan Dowd was born in London to Irish parents. She attended a Roman Catholic grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in south London and earned a BA Hons degree in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University and an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
with distinction from Greenwich University
Greenwich University
Greenwich University is a controversial distance learning institution, originally founded in 1972 in Missouri , trading from 1990 to 2003 in Hawaii--1998 to 2003 under separate ownership--and from 1998 to 2002 in Norfolk Island...
in Gender and Ethnic Studies.
In 1984, she joined the writer's organisation International PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
, initially as a researcher for its Writers in Prison Committee and later as Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work there included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee (USA) and travelling to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year stay in New York, Dowd was named one of the "top 100 Irish-Americans" by Irish-America Magazine and AerLingus, for her global anti-censorship work
On her return to the UK, Dowd co-founded, with Rachel Billington, English PEN's readers and writers program. The program takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender
Young offender
A young offender is a young person who has been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offence. Criminal justice systems often deal with young offenders differently from adult offenders, but different countries apply the term 'young offender' to different age groups depending on the age of criminal...
's institutions and community projects. During 2004, Dowd served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.
Before her death from breast cancer, the Siobhan Dowd Trust was established, wherein the proceeds from her literary work will be used to assist disadvantaged children with their reading skills.
Works
Dowd edited two anthologies in the Threatened Literature Series for the Freedom to Write Committee of the PEN American Center: This Prison Where I Live (Cassell, 1996) and, jointly with Ian Hancock and Rajko Djuric, The Roads of the Roma: a PEN Anthology of Gypsy Writers (University of Hertfordshire Press, 1998 and 2004).An invitation by Tony Bradman
Tony Bradman
Tony Bradman is an English author of children's books, best known for the Dilly the Dinosaur series. He is the author of over 50 books for young people published by multiple houses including Alfred A. Knopf, Methuen Publishing, Puffin Books, and HarperCollins.Bradman earned an M.A...
to contribute a story about an Irish “Pavee” (gypsy/traveller) to his collection of short stories for children about racism, Skin Deep (Puffin, 2004), led to a new career as an author of children's books. Dowd was inspired by this success to continue writing for children and developed close friendships with two established children's authors, Lee Weatherly and Fiona Dunbar. They would meet regularly to chat about their work and discuss children's literature.
A Swift Pure Cry
A Swift Pure Cry
A Swift Pure Cry is a 2006 novel by Siobhan Dowd about a teenager named Shell who lives in County Cork, Ireland. It won the 2007 Branford Boase Award and the Eilís Dillon Award.-Characters:...
, Dowd's first novel, was published 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 Children's Books
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,...
, in March 2006. It was long-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and short-listed for the Booktrust Teenage Prize
Booktrust Teenage Prize
The Booktrust Teenage Prize is an annual award given to young adult literature published in the UK. The prize is administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading.-List of Prize Winners:...
, the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize
Waterstone's Children's Book Prize
The Waterstone's Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is therefore open only to authors who have published no more...
, the Sheffield Children's Book Award, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, the CBI Bisto Book of the Year Award. It was also on the Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2007
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
. In May 2007, Dowd was awarded the Children's Book Ireland Eilís Dillon Award (sponsored by Bisto), and in June 2007 she was awarded the Branford Boase Award
Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a British literary award presented annually to an outstanding novel for young people by a first-time writer.Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books and Henrietta Branford worked together previously to produce a great number of books. Both Wendy Boase and...
.
The London Eye Mystery
The London Eye Mystery
The London Eye Mystery is a children's mystery novel by English author Siobhan Dowd. First published in 2007, it tells the story of how Ted, a boy with Asperger syndrome solves the mystery of how his cousin Salim seemingly vanishes from inside a sealed capsule on the London Eye...
was Dowd's second novel. It was published by David Fickling Books in June 2007. In September 2007 it won the NASEN/TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award, was longlisted for the 2008 Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for 2008 Red House Children's Book Award, 2008 Doncaster Book Award, 2008 Southwark Schools Book Award. In May 2008, Dowd was posthumously awarded the €10,000 Bisto Book of the Year prize for The London Eye Mystery and in January 2009 it won the Salford Children's Book Award.
At the time of her death, she had completed two further novels: Bog Child
Bog Child
Bog Child is a historical novel by Siobhan Dowd. The book was released by David Fickling Books on September 9, 2008. It was listed as one of Amazon's Best Book of the Year for 2008 and one of Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year for the children's fiction category in 2008. It also won the 2009...
was published in February 2008, which was short-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and in 2009 won the Carnegie Medal. Solace of the Road was published in January 2009. It was shortlisted for both the Guardian's Children's Fiction Prize and Costa Book Award in 2009.
Siobhan had also started another story for young adults before her untimely death. "She had the characters, a detailed premise, and a beginning. What she didn't have, unfortunately, was time". This story was then completed by Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is an American author, journalist and lecturer who lives in London. He holds both American and British citizenship...
, acclaimed author of the Chaos Walking trilogy
Chaos Walking Trilogy
Chaos Walking is a series of young adult dystopia novels written by award-winning novelist Patrick Ness. "The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking." From this, the title of the trilogy was derived....
for young adults. The book is entitled 'A Monster Calls' and features illustrations by Jim Kay. The plot features a young boy coming to terms with his mother's long suffering terminal illness and was published in May 2011.
Personal life
Dowd was married twice. Her first marriage broke down in the early 1990s and she subsequently moved to New York City, where she worked for PEN American Center. Dowd spent seven years in New York until she returned to London in 1997, to spend more time with her family. In 2000 she met Geoff Morgan, a librarian at Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
. They married in March 2001 in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In September 2004, Dowd was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. In spite of this, she continued to write prolifically. In her last year of life she developed a friendship with the children's author Meg Rosoff
Meg Rosoff
Meg Rosoff is an American author based in London since 1989. She is best known for her novel How I Live Now, which won 3 awards including the Guardian Award , Michael L. Printz Award , Branford Boase Award and was shortlisted for the 2004 Whitbread Awards. Her second novel, , won the prestigious ...
, another victim of breast cancer.
Death
Dowd died of breast cancer on 21 August 2007, aged 47.. She was survived by her husband, Geoff Morgan, librarian at Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
. She was interred in the graveyard at St Margaret's Church in Binsey, Oxfordshire
Binsey, Oxfordshire
Binsey is a village by the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It is the opposite side of the river from Port Meadow and about southwest of the ruins of Godstow Abbey.-History:...
.