Robin McKinley is a highly acclaimed American author, well-known for her contributions to the children's books, fantasy, and young adult genres. She was born as Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley on November 16, 1952, in Warren, Ohio. Her parents, William McKinley and Jeanne Turrel McKinley, were a Naval Officer and a teacher, respectively, which resulted in McKinley growing up in various places such as New York, Maine, California, and Japan. This nomadic childhood has been a significant influence on her fiction.
McKinley's love for reading started at a young age and she associates different events, places, and time periods with the books she read. She has a remarkable memory of reading certain books for the first time in specific locations. For instance, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California, The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York, and The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan. This unique way of remembering her life through books is a testament to her deep connection with literature.
McKinley pursued her education at Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine. She then attended Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating summa cum laude in 1975. Her writing career began in 1978 when her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to. Since then, she has lived in various places, including Brunswick, Maine, Boston, Eastern Massachusetts, New York City, Blue Hill, Maine, and currently Hampshire, England, with her husband, Peter Dickinson, who is also a writer.
McKinley's writing career has been marked with significant achievements. She has won various awards and citations, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword. Her other notable works include Sunshine; the New York Times bestseller Spindle's End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. McKinley's ability to weave captivating stories has earned her a prominent place in American literature.