Marcus Sedgwick, who has died suddenly aged 54, was a passionate and intellectually challenging writer of more than 40 books, mostly for children and young adults, each told with creative originality and optimism however apparently dark their theme. He was also an encouraging, stimulating and generous teacher of creative writing.
His stories were demanding and robust, substantial and accessible. He had a vivid imagination as well as an encyclopedic reading background that, in addition to his original ideas, allowed him to create stories out of stories, often drawing on folklore and mythology. Like many writers for children he always said he wrote for himself and not for any specific audience, or genre, and he occasionally wrote for adults as well. Each book was a thrilling standalone novel that carried much of importance within the depth of the story.
