American writer of FantasyFiction known primarily for her remarkable retellings of traditional fairy tales (such as "Sleeping Beauty," "Donkeyskin," and "Beauty and the Beast" -- in the last case, twice). She was awarded a NewberyHonorMedal for _The Blue Sword_ (at age 30) and the NewberyMedal for _The Hero and the Crown_ (at age 32), making her the youngest Newbery Medalist in the award's history. She now lives in the South of England with her husband, PeterDickinson. Her most recent book is _Sunshine_, which will be published in the US in Fall 2003. - isfdb:author/Robin_McKinley - http://www.robinmckinley.com (author's site) CategoryAuthor