The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Joan Aiken is a marvel – Philip PullmanShe was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew – Amanda Craig * The Times *Dickensian in flavour … rich in atmosphere and intrigue – Julia Eccleshare * Guardian *A genuine small masterpiece – TimeThrilling tale…stuffed with atmosphere, adventure, memorable characters and luxuriant Gothic prose. Any child who discovers it will fall in love, not only with Aiken’s writing, but with reading… The Wolves sequence has inspired writers from Philip Pullman to Cathryn Constable… Aiken was a genius, and her reissue deserves howls of delight – Amanda Craig * The Times *Take a whirlwind journey to the desolate, wolf-infested Willoughby estates. Brave cousins, an evil governess, a horrid orphanage - this rip-roaring story has them all, and more – Anne FineSo what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way…my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas…and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics! * National Association for the Teaching of English *Masefield conjures the snowy landscape unforgettably , as does Joan Aiken in the 50th anniversary edition of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. – Amanda Craig * The Times *

Joan Aiken was born in Sussex in 1924. She was the daughter of the American poet, Conrad Aiken; her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge, is also a novelist. Before joining the ‘family business’ herself, Joan had a variety of jobs, including working for the BBC, the United Nations Information Centre and then as features editor for a short story magazine. Her first children’s novel, The Kingdom of the Cave, was published in 1960.

Joan Aiken wrote over a hundred books for young readers and adults and is recognized as one of the classic authors of the twentieth century. Amanda Craig, writing in The Times, said, ‘She was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew.’ Her best-known books are those in the James III saga, of which The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was the first title, published in 1962 and awarded the Lewis Carroll prize. Both that and Black Hearts in Battersea have been filmed. Her books are internationally acclaimed and she received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the United States as well as the Guardian Award for Fiction in this country for The Whispering Mountain.

Joan Aiken was decorated with an MBE for her services to children’s books. She died in 2004.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.