Joseph Delaney, author of the Wardstone Chronicles series, has passed away at the age of 77 – as reported by the BBC. He died on August 16th.
Mr. Delaney was originally from Preston, England, and also lived in nearby Manchester. He wrote fantasy novels for children – most notably his Wardstone Chronicles (which is sometimes also known as the Spook’s series as well as The Last Apprentice series). Prior to becoming an author, he worked as an English teacher.
Joseph counted J.R.R. Tolkien as his major inspiration, and tried to emulate him, but said he was rejected so many times that he lost count. He switched gears and began writing for children at the suggestion of his agent. He actually had written down the idea for his first novel 18 years earlier in a notebook and never realized it had any value.
This abandoned idea of his is what became The Spook’s Apprentice (or Revenge of the Witch in the States). It spawned a 12-book series as well as some spin-offs as well. All in all, his books have sold 4,500,000 copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty languages.
Among the awards he won were The Sefton Schools Super Reads, The Hampshire Book Award, and Prix Plaisirs de Lire for The Spook’s Apprentice. He was also shortlisted for a number of awards, mostly for The Spook’s Apprentice.
The Spook’s Apprentice was adapted into a film, Seventh Son, in 2014. It starred Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.
Joseph is survived by his wife, Rani, two sons, daughter, and grandchildren.