16.08.1934 - 26.03.2011 (76 years)
Diana Wynne Jones (16 August 1934 – 26 March 2011) was an English novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually described as fantasy, some of her work also incorporates science fiction themes and elements of realism. Jones' work often explores themes of time travel and parallel or multiple universes. Some of her better-known works are the Chrestomanci series, the Dalemark series, the three Moving Castle novels, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Jones has been cited as an inspiration and muse for several fantasy and science fiction authors including Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Penelope Lively, Robin McKinley, Megan Whalen Turner, J.K. Rowling and Dina Rabinovitch. Her work has been nominated for several awards. She was twice a finalist for the Hugo Award, nominated fourteen times for the Locus Award, seven times for the Mythopoeic Award (which she would win twice out of those seven nominations), twice for a British Fantasy Award (won in 1999), and twice for a World Fantasy Award, which she would also win in 2007.