Kevin Crossley-Holland is a distinguished author, well-known for his work in young adult fiction, historical romance, and poetry. He has written numerous books for both children and adults, including classic retellings, poetry collections, and anthologies. One of his most notable works, Storm, earned him the Carnegie Medal in 1985.
Crossley-Holland has an impressive body of work that spans various genres and subjects. Among his notable books are Waterslain Angels, a detective story set in 1950s north Norfolk, and Moored Man: A Cycle of North Norfolk Poems. He has also written Gatty's Tale, a medieval pilgrimage novel, and the Arthur trilogy, consisting of The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing-Places, and King of the Middle March. The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Smarties Prize Bronze Medal, and the entire trilogy has received widespread critical acclaim and has been translated into 21 languages.
Crossley-Holland has also made significant contributions to preserving and retelling traditional tales. He has translated Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon and has retold traditional tales in works such as The Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales, which was reissued as The Magic Lands. He has collaborated with composers, including Nicola Lefanu and Rupert Bawden, and has written plays and poetry workshops for various audiences. Crossley-Holland is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Crossley-Holland has had a successful career as a writer and has been recognized for his contributions to literature. His Arthur trilogy was translated into 25 languages, and The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and has sold over one million copies worldwide. He was also the President of the School Library Association (2012-17). Crossley-Holland's memoir of childhood, The Hidden Roads, was published in 2009, and his Viking Sagas, Bracelet of Bones and Scramasax, were published in 2011 and 2012, respectively. His collection of poems, Gravity for Beginners, was published in 2021.