| Sam Angus | |
|---|---|
 Angus at the house of hummingbird island launch party | |
| Born | 21 July 1967 (1967-07-21) (age 57) England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Education | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Subject | Historical adventure novels for children |
| Website | |
| www | |
Samantha Angus (born 21 July 1967) is an English writer of historical adventure novels for children. She is the author of five books, including Soldier Dog, Captain, A Horse Called Hero, and The House on Hummingbird Island. Her novels deal with bleak moments of British and colonial history.
Soldier Dog
Her first novel, Soldier Dog, tells the story of a lonely and bullied underage recruit and the Messenger Dog Service in the First World War. The story of Stanley Ryder's dog is based on the true story of Airedale Jack. Soldier Dog won the North East Book Award in 2012 and was long-listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal award.
Macmillan Publishers secured the world rights to the book in 2012. In 2017, New Sparta Films acquired film rights to Soldier Dog, with Angus collaborating on the adaptation and screenplay.
Other works
Captain, another WWI novel, tells the story of a young refugee from Central Europe who is recruited to the Mule Corps and serves in the war with his donkey Hey-Ho in Gallipoli and the Middle East. The book was nominated in 2015 for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2015.
A Horse Called Hero tells the story of two child evacuees from London during World War II who gradually come to understand that their father, a World War I hero, has been imprisoned for cowardice. The story is set in the British countryside of the West Country where Sam lives. It explores the unconditional love between children and animals. The novel won multiple awards including Ealing Readers Award in 2014, and Hillingdon Primary Book of the Year in 2015.
The House on Hummingbird Island, longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Award and shortlisted for the Cheshire Schools' Book Award, is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the First World War, touching on issues of race, as well as the contribution of the West Indies to the war and their treatment at the hands of the British. As young Idie Grace sheds the skin of her childhood, she confronts the complex truths of her genetic inheritance.
School for Skylarks tells the story of a schoolgirl evacuee from London, who during WWII, is sent to live with an eccentric great-aunt in an equally eccentric stately home. When their home is requisitioned as a school, Lyla's lonely world is turned inside out.
Personal life
Angus attended Trinity College, Cambridge. She has five children, several horses, and a small white West Highland terrier.
References
- "Previous Years". North East Book Award. 14 November 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- "Soldier Dog by Sam Angus". Book Trust. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ Williams, Charlotte (24 January 2012). "MCB wins 'heart-breaking' Soldier Dog". The Bookseller. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- "New Sparta Films Acquires Film Rights to Soldier Dog". New Sparta Films. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- Martin Chilton (20 October 2014). "Carnegie Medal 2015 nominations announced". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- Bridgewater, Daisy (19 September 2013). "Children's notebook: Sam Angus on her new book A horse called hero". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- "Awards". Sam Angus. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- "The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards". The CILIIP Carnegie & Kate Greenway Children's Book Awards. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "Latest Education Library Service News". els.cheshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "School for Skylarks". Sam Angus. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- Trinity Literary Festival Samantha Angus (1986) and Julia Eccleshare: Once upon a time is forever. The New Golden Age of Children’s Literature.
- "About Me". Sam Angus. Retrieved 28 February 2017.