Rosemary Sutcliff (1920–1992)

Rosemary Sutcliff was born in England and spent her childhood in Malta and various other naval bases at which her father, a Royal Navy officer, was stationed. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at a young age and used a wheelchair most of her life. She left school at age 14 and entered the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years. She worked as a painter of miniatures and began her published writing career in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. Her best-known work, The Eagle of the Ninth, was published in 1954. Although she was considered primarily a children's author, much of her work also appealed to adults. Sutcliff won many awards for her writing, and was published worldwide. She never married.