JOHN ROWE TOWNSEND was born in Leeds,
and went to Leeds Grammar School and Cambridge University, where he edited
the undergraduate newspaper. For many years he was a journalist with The
Guardian.before leaving the paper to become a full-time
author. His first book Gumble's
Yard arose from reviewing
books for young people, and feeling that, in those days, there was little
to reflect the realities of life as poor city children knew it. He has
since written more than twenty books for children and young people, including
The Intruder, Noah's
Castle, and Tom Tiddler's Ground
Gumble's Yard, The Intruder and Noah's Castle were all serialised on television, and The Intruder won major awards in Britain and the United States. John Rowe Townsend is also the author of an adult novel, Cranford Revisited;, a history of English language children's literature, Written for Children, now in its sixth edition; and Trade and Plumb-cake for Ever, Huzza! about the eighteenth century pioneer publisher for children, John Newbery.