Westall, Robert (1929–1993)

English novelist. Many of his novels and stories share the setting of World War II; his first novel for young adults is The Machine Gunners (1975, Carnegie Medal), and its sequel is Fathom Five (1979). Echoes of War (1989) is a collection of short stories which focus on the aftermath of war.

Born in Tynemouth, northeast England, Westall went to university in London, and later became a teacher, writer, and art critic. Westall's war stories also include The Kingdom of the Sea (1990), A Time of Fire (1994), and Blitz (1995), which contains four short stories with a World War II setting.

Another of Westall's favourite themes is the supernatural: The Wind Eye (1976), The Watch House (1977), The Devil on the Road (1978), The Scarecrows (1981), Urn Burial (1987), The Promise (1990), all contain elements of the supernatural, as do The Cats of Seroster (1984), Blitzcat (1989), and Yaxley's Cat (1991). Tyneside is a vital setting for his works Hidden Turnings (1989), The Christmas Cat (1991), The Christmas Ghost (1992), The Nightmare (1995), and Falling into Glory (1993).