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Theresa Breslin

b. 1947

Scottish children's writer

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About Theresa Breslin

Born 1947. Theresa Breslin is a British librarian, writer, novelist, science fiction writer and children's writer.

Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author of over 50 books. In 1994, she won the 1994 Carnegie Medal. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.

In 2019 Breslin received an O.B.E. in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to Literature.

Career Breslin grew up in Kirkintilloch in Scotland. She started writing as a teenager; writing about the closing of a nearby steel mill.

Whispers in the Graveyard, published in 1994, features a dyslexic boy. Breslin won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising it as that year's best children's book.

Her book Prisoners of the Inquisition was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal in 2010. She was awarded the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award that year.

Personal life Breslin is married with four children.

Books Divided City (2005) is her eighth book for the Doubleday list. The Medici Seal, (August 2006) for which her research was extensive, with trips to study Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous works, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. The Medici Seal is a tale of intrigue, murder and betrayal which follows the journey of Matteo as he travels with Leonardo across Italy on the Borgias' business.

Works

Simon's Challenge (1988) Different Directions (1989) Time to Reap (1991) Kezzie (1993) Bullies at School (1993) Whispers in the Graveyard (1994) Alien Force (1995) A Homecoming for Kezzie (1995) Missing (1995) Death or Glory Boys (1996) Name Games (1997) Across the Roman Wall (1997) Blair, the Winner! (1997) – four stories Name Games (1997) Bodyparts (1998) Starship Rescue (1999) Blair Makes a Splash (1999) – four stories The Dream Master (1999) Dream Master – Nightmare! (2000) Duncan of Carrick (2000) Remembrance (2002) New School Blues (2002) Dream Master – Gladiator (2003) Prisoner in Alcatraz (2004) Dream Master – Arabian Nights (2004) Saskia's Journey (2004) Divided City (2005) The Medici Seal (2006) The Nostradamus Prophecy (2008) Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) Spy for the Queen of Scots (2012) - Ghost Soldier (2014)

Awards and honours Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature - for Whispers in the Graveyard Selected for the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults, and New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age 2003. Civic Award from Strathkelvin Winner of the Scottish Book Trust Best of the Decade Award Winner of Young Book Trust's Kathleen Fidler Award for Simon's Challenge Winner of the Sheffield Children's Book Award - longer novel Awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies, 2010 OBE for Services to Literature, 2019

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Important facts

Born
1947, Scotland, Kirkintilloch
Birth century
Nationality
Education
St Constantine's
Awards
Carnegie Medal; Officer of the Order of the British Empire

People in Theresa Breslin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Theresa Breslin's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Theresa Breslin?

Scottish children's writer

When was Theresa Breslin born?

Theresa Breslin was born in 1947 in Scotland, Kirkintilloch.

What is Theresa Breslin's occupation?

Theresa Breslin is a librarian, writer, novelist, science fiction writer and children's writer.

What nationality is Theresa Breslin?

Theresa Breslin is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Theresa Breslin

· Wikidata: Q446747

· DBpedia: Theresa Breslin

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Theresa Breslin. https://biography.guide/theresa-breslin/

MLA: "Theresa Breslin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/theresa-breslin/.

Chicago: "Theresa Breslin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/theresa-breslin/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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