Helen Dunmore

Helen Dunmore (1952-2017) was a renowned British poet, novelist, and children's book author. Born in Yorkshire, she studied English at York University and later worked as a teacher and freelance journalist. Her literary career began with her collection of poems, "The Apple Fall" (1983), which won the Poetry Society's Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize. With her first novel, "Zennor in Darkness" (1993), she gained critical acclaim for her intricate and atmospheric storytelling. Dunmore went on to publish over 10 novels, including the acclaimed "The Siege" (2001), "The Betrayal" (2010), and "Birdcage Walk" (2012). Her works often explored themes of memory, loss, and the complexities of history. She won numerous awards, including the Whitbread Award for Best Novel in 1996 for "A Spell of Winter" and the Costa Book of the Year in 2010 for "The Betrayal." Her poetry has been widely anthologized, and she served as the Oxford Professor of Poetry from 2009 to 2013. Helen Dunmore's literary legacy continues to inspire and move readers worldwide.