Children’s Author Marcus Sedgwick Dies

British award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54. Sedgwick wrote over 40 children’s books, was nominated for more than 30 awards, and won the Printz award in 2014 for Midwinter Blood.

He described his latest series, Be the Change, as a “brilliant interactive and accessible resources for kids to learn about the importance of empathy and mental health — so they can be the change they want to see.”

Other children’s authors wrote about his influence on them on social media:

Marcus’ work has a huge influence on my writing. His unabashed willingness to step into the dark, split its seams and find the stars was something I treasured. He was an astonishing storyteller, and a formidable person to meet. Thinking of his loved ones. https://t.co/8NiyKDqIrS

— Kiran Millwood Hargrave (@Kiran_MH) November 17, 2022

Hard to express how important August/Marcus Sedgwick was to me over the last year. He was always on the end of the phone with words of comfort and wisdom and I already miss him. A kind, funny, generous soul. He wasn’t half bad at writing either. Just heartbroken 💔 RIP

— Sarah Crossan (@SarahCrossan) November 17, 2022