View source for Gillian Cross

{{Short description|British children's novelist (born 1945)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}

{{Infobox author
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|December 24, 1945}}
| nationality      = British
| occupation       = author
| genre            = [[children's books]]
| notable_works    = {{plainlist}}
*''[[The Demon Headmaster]]'' (1982–2019)
*''[[Chartbreak]]'' (1986)
*''[[Wolf (novel)|Wolf]]'' (1990)
*''[[The Great Elephant Chase]]'' (1992) 
*''[[Tightrope (novel)|Tightrope]]'' (1999)
{{endplainlist}}
| education        = {{plainlist}}
*[[North London Collegiate School]]
*[[Somerville College, Oxford]] (BA, 1969; MA, 1972)
*[[University of Sussex]] (Ph.D., 1974)
{{endplainlist}}
| birth_name       = Gillian Clare Arnold
| spouse           = Martin Cross (m. 1967)
| children         = 4
| awards           = [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] (1990)
}}

'''Gillian Claire Cross''' (born December 24, 1945)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cross, Gillian (Clare) |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/cross-gillian-clare |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201075539/https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/cross-gillian-clare |url-status=live }}</ref> is a British author of [[children's literature|children's books]]. She won the 1990 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] for ''[[Wolf (novel)|Wolf]]'' and the [[1992 Whitbread Awards|1992 Whitbread Children's Book Award]] for ''[[The Great Elephant Chase]]''. She also wrote ''[[The Demon Headmaster]]'' book series, which was later turned into a [[The Demon Headmaster (TV Series)|television series]] by the [[BBC]] in January 1996; a [[The Demon Headmaster (2019 TV series)|sequel series]] was produced in 2019.

==Personal life and education==

Gillian Clare Arnold was born in London on 24 December 1945 to James Eric and Joan Emma Arnold.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Cross, Gillian 1945– |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/scholarly-magazines/cross-gillian-1945 |website=Encyclopedia.com |accessdate=3 March 2020 |archive-date=3 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303221717/https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/scholarly-magazines/cross-gillian-1945 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a girl, she attended the [[North London Collegiate School]]. She married Martin Cross on May 10, 1967.<ref name=":0" />

Later, she received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] with first-class honours from [[Somerville College, Oxford]] in 1969, and a [[Master of Arts]] from the same university in 1972.<ref name=":1" /> In 1974, she received a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] degree from the [[University of Sussex]].<ref name=":1" />

Cross and her husband had four children.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Before becoming a full-time writer, Cross held several different jobs, including acting as an assistant to a Member of Parliament.

In 1979, she published her first book, ''The Runaway''. Three years later, she inaugurated ''The Demon Headmaster'' series of eight books (1982 to 2019). The same year, she also completed ''The Dark Behind the Curtain'', a horror story illustrated by [[David Parkins]] and published by [[Oxford University Press]].<!-- Sweeney Todd is one subject but featured? I don't know --><ref>[http://lccn.loc.gov/90168648 "The dark behind the curtain"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428110143/https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=90168648&searchType=1&permalink=y |date=28 April 2020 }}. Library of Congress Catalog Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref> It was highly commended for the 1982 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]<ref name="ccsu" /><ref group="lower-alpha" name="HC" /> from the [[CILIP|Library Association]], recognising the year's best children's book by a [[British subject]]. ''A Map of Nowhere'', published in 1988, was highly commended for the 1988 Carnegie.<ref name="ccsu" /><ref group="lower-alpha" name="HC" /> Two years later, she won the Medal two years later for ''[[Wolf (novel)|Wolf]],''<ref name="medal1990" /> which was also runner-up for the 1991 [[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In early 2014, she became a patron for the [[Leamington Spa]]-based charity [[Cord (charity)|Cord]], after their work in [[Sudan]] inspired her latest novel, ''After Tomorrow''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leamington charity inspired new Gillian Cross novel |url=http://leamingtonobserver.co.uk/2014/01/19/news-Leamington-charity-inspired-new-Gillian-Cross-novel-94755.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140617085958/http://leamingtonobserver.co.uk/2014/01/19/news-Leamington-charity-inspired-new-Gillian-Cross-novel-94755.html |archivedate=17 June 2014 |website=Leamington Observer |publisher= |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In the [[2024 Dorset Council election]], Gillian Cross contested [[Beacon (ward)|Beacon]] ward as a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] candidate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-03 |title=Lib Dems pledge car park charges review as they take control of Dorset Council |url=https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24299046.dorset-elections-lib-dems-take-control-dorset-council/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Dorset Echo |language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
{{Incomplete list|date=June 2023}}
Three of Cross's books are [[Junior Library Guild]] selections: ''[[The Great Elephant Chase|The Great American Elephant Chase]]'' (1995),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Junior Library Guild : The Great American Elephant Chase by Gillian Cross |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9780823410163J&name=Great_American_Elephant_Chase |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=www.juniorlibraryguild.com}}</ref> ''New World'' (1995),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Junior Library Guild : New World by Gillian Cross |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9780823411665J&name=New_World |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=www.juniorlibraryguild.com}}</ref> and ''Pictures in the Dark'' (1997).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Junior Library Guild : Pictures in the Dark by Gillian Cross |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9780823412679J&name=Pictures_In_The_Dark |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=www.juniorlibraryguild.com}}</ref>

In 1987, ''[[The Horn Book Magazine]]'' has included two of Cross's books on their list of the best fiction of the year: ''Roscoe’s Leap'' (1987) and ''The Great American Elephant Chase'' (1993).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Book |first=Horn |title=Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present |url=https://www.hbook.com/story/bookreviews/horn-book-fanfare-1938-to-present |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=The Horn Book |archive-date=20 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320225503/https://www.hbook.com/story/bookreviews/horn-book-fanfare-1938-to-present |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Awards for Cross's writing
!Year
!Title
!Award
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|1980
|''{{sort|Iron Way|The Iron Way}}''
|[[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize]]
|Runner-up
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|1982
| rowspan="2" |{{Sort|Dark Behind the Curtain|''The Dark Behind the Curtain''}}
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|Highly commended
|<ref name=":1" /><ref name="ccsu" />
|-
|1983
|[[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize]]
|Runner-up
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|1984
|''On the Edge''
|[[Best Books for Young Adults]]
|Selection
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|1988
|{{Sort|Map of Nowhere|''A Map of Nowhere''}}
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|Highly commended
|<ref name="ccsu" />
|-
|1990
| rowspan="2" |''[[Wolf (novel)|Wolf]]''
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|'''Winner'''
|<ref name=":0" /><ref name="medal1990" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |date=2002-07-01 |title=The British Invasion |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20020701/36955-the-british-invasion.html |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|1991
|[[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize]]
|Runner-up
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |1992
| rowspan="3" |{{Sort|Great Elephant Chase|''[[The Great Elephant Chase]]''}}
|[[Nestlé Smarties Book Prize]] for 9 – 11 Years
|'''Winner'''
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|[[Nestlé Smarties Book Prize]] for Overall
|'''Winner'''
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|[[Whitbread Award for Children's Novel]]
|'''Winner'''
|<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Winners |url=http://www.costabookawards.com/downloads/PastWinners.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229131124/http://www.costabookawards.com/downloads/PastWinners.pdf |archive-date=2009-12-29 |access-date=2022-02-07 |website=Costa Book Awards}}</ref>
|-
|1999
| rowspan="2" |''[[Tightrope (novel)|Tightrope]]''
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|Shortlist
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|2001
|[[Best Books for Young Adults]]
|Selection
|<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2006-09-29 |title=Best Books for Young Adults |url=https://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/bestbooksya/2001bestbooks |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=[[Young Adult Library Services Association]] (YALSA) |language=en |archive-date=7 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207210913/https://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/bestbooksya/2001bestbooks |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|2011
|''Where I Belong''
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|Nominee
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|2013
| rowspan="5" |''After Tomorrow''
|[[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize]]
|Longlist
|<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Eccleshare |first=Julia |date=2013-05-25 |title=Guardian children's fiction prize 2013 longlist - in pictures |language=en-GB |work=[[the Guardian]] |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2013/may/25/guardian-childrens-fiction-prize-2013-longlist |url-status=live |access-date=2023-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409171950/https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2013/may/25/guardian-childrens-fiction-prize-2013-longlist |archive-date=2023-04-09 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4" |2014
|[[Bolton Children's Book Award]]
|'''Winner'''
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|[[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]
|Nominee
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|Coventry Inspiration Book Award
|'''Winner'''
|{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
|-
|Little Rebels Children's Book Award
|'''Winner'''
|<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-05-13 |title=Awards: SIBA Finalists; Bread and Roses; Little Rebels |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2250 |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=[[Shelf Awareness]] |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921235956/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2250 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

==Bibliography==

{{colbegin}}
* ''The Runaway'' (1979)
* ''The Iron Way'' (1979)
* ''Revolt at Ratcliffe's Rags'' (1979)
* ''A Whisper of Lace'' (1981)
* ''The Dark Behind the Curtain'' (1982)
* [[The Demon Headmaster]] series:
*# ''The Demon Headmaster'' (1982)
*# ''The Prime Minister's Brain'' (1985)
*# ''The Revenge of the Demon Headmaster'' (1994)
*# ''The Demon Headmaster Strikes Again'' (1996)
*# ''The Demon Headmaster Takes Over'' (1997)
*# ''Facing the Demon Headmaster'' (2002)
*# ''Total Control'' (2017)
*# ''Mortal Danger'' (2019)
* ''Born of the Sun'' (1983)
* ''On the Edge'' (1984)
* ''Swimathon!'' (1986)
* ''[[Chartbreak]]'' (1986);<ref group=lower-alpha name=HC/> US title, ''Chartbreaker''
* ''Roscoe's Leap'' (1987)
* ''A Map of Nowhere'' (1988)
* ''Rescuing Gloria'' (1989)
* ''[[Wolf (novel)|Wolf]]'' (1990)
* ''The Monster from Underground'' (2009)
* ''Twin and Super-Twin'' (1990)
* ''The Mintyglo Kid'' (1991)
* ''Gobbo the Great'' (1991)
* ''Rent-a-Genius'' (1991)
* ''Save Our School'' (1991)
* ''[[The Great Elephant Chase]]'' (1992);<ref group=lower-alpha name=HC/> US title, ''The Great American Elephant Chase''
* ''The Tree House'' (1993)
* ''The Furry Maccaloo'' (1993)
* ''Beware Olga!'' (1993)
* ''What Will Emily Do?'' (1994)
* ''New World'' (1994)
* ''The Crazy Shoe Shuffle'' (1995)
* ''Posh Watson'' (1995)
* ''Pictures in the Dark'' (1996)
* ''The Roman Beanfeast'' (1996)
* ''The Goose Girl'' (1998)
* ''[[Tightrope (novel)|Tightrope]]'' (1999)
* ''Down with the Dirty Danes!'' (2000)
* ''Calling a Dead Man'' (2001); US title, ''Phoning a Dead Man''
* ''The Treasure in the Mud'' (2001)
* Dark Ground trilogy, or The Lost trilogy:
*# ''The Dark Ground'' (2004)
*# ''The Black Room'' (2005)
*# ''The Nightmare Game'' (2006)
* ''Sam Sorts It Out'' (2005)
* ''Brother Aelred's Feet'' (2007)
* ''Where I Belong'' (2007)
* ''After Tomorrow'' (2013)
* ''Shadow Cat'' (2015)

{{colend}}

==Notes==
{{reflist |group=lower-alpha |refs=
<ref group=lower-alpha name=HC>
Cross was also a commended runner up twice, for ''[[Chartbreak]]'' (1986) and ''[[The Great Elephant Chase]]'' (1992).<br>
• Since 1995 there are usually eight books on the Carnegie shortlist.
According to CCSU, some runners up through 2002 were Commended (from 1954) or Highly Commended (from 1966). The latter distinction was approximately annual from 1979, with 29 in 24 years including Cross alone in 1982 and three in 1988.<br>
• No one has won three Carnegie Medals (awarded for 1936 to 2011 publications). Seven authors have won two. Among the dozens to win one, Cross and [[Melvin Burgess]] also wrote two Highly Commended books (1966–2002). (Burgess was a runner up for ''The Cry of the Wolf'' when Cross won the medal for ''Wolf''.)</ref>
}}

== References ==
{{reflist |25em |refs=
<ref name=medal1990>
[http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/livingarchive/title.php?id=68 (Carnegie Winner 1990)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402232032/http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/livingarchive/title.php?id=68 |date=2 April 2012 }}. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. [[CILIP]]. Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref>
<ref name=ccsu>[http://web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/CarnegieMedal.htm "Carnegie Medal Award"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327101434/http://web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/CarnegieMedal.htm |date=27 March 2019 }}. 2007(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. [[Central Connecticut State University]] ('''CCSU'''). Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Children's literature |Speculative fiction/Horror}}
* {{official website |http://www.gillian-cross.co.uk/ }}
* {{isfdb name |6173 |Gillian Cross }}
*[http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/gillian-cross/ Gillian Cross at Fantastic Fiction]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080703162410/http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/gillian_cross/gillian_cross.asp Author profile and interview]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/studentlife/careersandchoices/dreamjobs/mediaandentertainment/writer/interview_writer_gillian_cross.shtml Gillian Cross answers questions about writing]
* {{LCAuth|n80166058|Gillian Cross|37|ue}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Gillian}}
[[Category:English children's writers]]
[[Category:Carnegie Medal in Literature winners]]
[[Category:Costa Book Award winners]]
[[Category:Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
[[Category:People educated at North London Collegiate School]]
[[Category:Writers from London]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) politicians]]