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Paul Dowswell

Writer for young adults, Non-fiction writer

A former senior editor with Usborne Publishing, Paul Dowswell has written over 70 books, including ten historical fiction novels for young adults and older readers, and many non-fiction books for children. He is especially interested in the lives of people living in wartime or under dictatorships. His book Ausländer, about a teenage boy growing up in Nazi Germany, won the Hamelin Associazione Culturale book prize, and won, or was shortlisted for, another 17 UK and international book awards. Two other novels, Sektion 20, about life under the East German Stasi, and Eleven Eleven, which follows the lives of three teenage combatants on the final day of the First World War, both won the Historical Association Young Quills book award.

When not writing Paul visits schools and festivals throughout the UK and abroad to talk about his books and take writing classes. He has also taught creative writing at the Midlands Arts Centre (mac) in Birmingham. Paul spent his early adult life in London working at the National Sound Archive, Science Museum, BBC Books and Time-Life. He reviews for Carousel and Armadillo, magazines about the world of childrens’ books, and has contributed articles to the Guardian, the Times Educational Supplement, the English Association, Guerres et Histoire, among others, and has appeared on BBC tv and radio to talk about his writing.

Outside of work Paul enjoys travelling and playing with his band in the clubs and pubs of the West Midlands, where he lives with his family.

Paul Dowswell
Image credit: David Rann

Fellowships

University of Sheffield 2018/19
De Montfort University 2016-18
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