Alan Gibbons

Shortlisted: Carnegie Medal
Winner: Blue Peter Book Award

Alan Gibbons has been writing children's books for 12 years. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2000 'The book I couldn't put down' for his best-selling book Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge of the 2001 Awards.
He has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2001 and appeared in that year's Going for Gold video. His books have been published in Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Swedish and other languages.

Alan has been a teacher for 16 years, working with KS1, KS2 and KS3. He has made numerous visits to schools and libraries, colleges and education conferences. He is a popular speaker at the Edinburgh Festival, the London Book Fair, the Northern Children's Book Festival, the Hay-on-Wye Festival, the Cheltenham Festival and many others.

Pupils' achievement is very good. This is due to the effective deployment of the talented Author in Residence, and the focused teaching of skills in dedicated writing lessons.
Ofsted Report on one of Alan's schools

Alan has also appeared on the BBC Education programme Writer's Block, the Blue Peter Book Awards, Radio 4's Front Row and is a regular contributor to TES, Junior Education, Carousel, Books for Keeps and other journals.

Alan is currently Author in Residence for Knowsley LEA and two Merseyside Primary Schools. He is involved in a year-long Y6/7 Continuity scheme and has featured in the Book Trust's Writing Together initiative.