Jan Needle

Jan Needle has written more than 50 books, as well as plays for stage, television and radio. His thriller Kicking Off was serialized for TV as Underbelly, and several others have also been televised. As well as thrillers, he writes highly acclaimed historical naval fiction, and is currently working on the third of a series of novellas based around Nelson's life.

His first book, Wild Wood - an 'alternative view' of Kenneth Grahame's masterpiece Wind in the Willows - was originally published for children, but is now recognized as a comedy spanning every age range in a newly revised edition which enhances William Rushton's superb illustrations. Toad is not the hero, but the original fatcat River Banker, spreading mayhem across the lush English countryside, and provoking a full-scale revolution among the local stoats, ferrets and weasels. It even contains recipes for 'Toad in the Hole' and a good strong country bitter!

Other early children's books pushed the age-boundary as well, and move easily into the Young Adult category. Some of them, like My Mate Shofiq and The Bully, are widely considered as outstanding in the genre. Shofiq was runner-up for the Guardian Award, another for the Carnegie Medal, and others have been shortlisted for prizes in several countries. Like the thrillers - Kicking Off, Death Order, Other People's Blood - they can be pretty uncompromising, although others, like Wagstaffe the Wind-up Boy and The Size Spies, are comic fantasies.

Jan lives in the North of England and has five children and six boats. He plays mandola, tin whistle, ukulele and accordion. Sadly, a pretty lousy singer though.