Book description
Diana Wynne Jones is best-known for her novels and stories - of
magical fantasy - written mainly for children. She received a World
Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007, as well as two
Mythopoeic Awards and the Guardian Fiction Award for Charmed
Life. But she was also a witty, entertaining speaker, a popular
guest at science fiction and fantasy conventions and an engaged,
scholarly critic of writing that interested her.
This collection of more than twenty-five papers, chosen by Diana
herself, includes fascinating literary criticism (such as a study of
narrative structure in The Lord of the Rings and a ringing
endorsement of the value of learning Anglo Saxon) alongside
autobiographical anecdotes about reading tours (including an account
of her famous travel jinx), revelations about the origins of her
books, and thoughts in general about the life of an author and the
value of writing. The longest autobiographical piece, 'Something About
the Author', details Diana's extraordinary childhood and is
illustrated with family photographs. Reflections is essential
reading for anyone interested in Diana's works, fantasy or creative writing.
The collection features a foreword by Neil Gaiman and an
introduction and interview by Charlie Butler, a respected expert on
fantasy writing.
Brought up starved of books, Diana Wynne Jones first made up stories
at the age of eight to entertain her sisters. Her first novel - a satire
for adults - was published in 1970, and afterwards she settled into
writing children's fantasies. Her books have been translated into
eighteen languages. Diana died in 2011, leaving behind a rich legacy of
writing and a vast legion of dedicated fans.
