Jonathan Anthony Stroud (born 27 October 1970) is a British writer of
fantasy fiction
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and dra ...
, best known for the
''Bartimaeus'' young adult sequence and ''
Lockwood & Co.'' children's series. His books are typically set in an
alternate history London with fantasy elements, and have received note for his satire, and use of magic to reflect themes of class struggle. The ''Bartimaeus'' sequence is the recipient of the
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award
The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given annually for outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas.
Established by the Mythopoeic Society in 1971, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awar ...
s. Stroud's works have also been featured on
ALA Notable lists American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists, part of the larger ALA awards structure.
* ''ALA Notable Books for Adults'' (est ...
of books for children and young adults. In 2020, Netflix announced a TV series based on ''Lockwood & Co.'', with filming initiated in July 2021.
Biography and Career
Born in 1970 in
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
, England, Stroud began to write stories at a very young age. He grew up in
St Albans where he attended Wheatfields Junior School and
St Albans Boys' School. He enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. He attributes his love of reading and writing to being ill between the ages of seven and nine. To escape boredom, he would occupy himself with books and stories.
After he completed his studies of
English literature at the
University of York, he worked in London as an editor for the Walker Books store. During the 1990s, he started publishing his own works and quickly gained success.
[
Among his works are the best-selling] ''Bartimaeus Trilogy
The ''Bartimaeus Sequence'' is a series of young adult novels of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It was written by British writer Jonathan Stroud and consists of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010 ...
'', which has received note for its satire and use of magic to explore themes of class struggle. By narrating the story from the perspective of Bartimaeus, a sarcastic and slightly egomaniacal djinni
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
, Stroud examines the stereotypes and ethics of the magician class and the enslaved demons. The books in this series, his first to be published in the United States, are ''The Amulet of Samarkand
''The Amulet of Samarkand'' is a children's novel of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It is the first book in the ''Bartimaeus trilogy'' written by English author Jonathan Stroud. The first edition (paperback) was published in September 20 ...
'', '' The Golem's Eye'', ''Ptolemy's Gate
''Ptolemy's Gate'' is a novel of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It is the third book in the ''Bartimaeus trilogy'', written by British author Jonathan Stroud. It was released in the United Kingdom in September 2005, and in the United Sta ...
'', and prequel ''The Ring of Solomon
''The Ring of Solomon'' is a children's novel of alternate history, fantasy literature, fantasy and magic (paranormal), magic. It is a prequel to the Bartimaeus (book series)#Bartimaeus trilogy, ''Bartimaeus'' trilogy, written by British auth ...
''.
In 2013, the first book in the Lockwood & Co (which is about a ghost hunter agency in a ghost-ravaged England) series, '' Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase'' was released, and achieved critical acclaim, with Rick Riordan
Richard Russell Riordan Junior (; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million co ...
calling Stroud a "genius". The second book, '' The Whispering Skull'', was released in September 2014. A third novel, titled ''The Hollow Boy'', was announced through a competition orchestrated by Stroud, asking readers to send in an idea for a ghost to feature in the third story. The fourth book, ''The Creeping Shadow'', was published in 2016, and the last book in the series, ''The Empty Grave'', was published in 2017.
In late 2020, Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
announced that Stroud's '' Lockwood & Co.'' series would be made into a television show produced by Nira Park
Nira Louise Park (born December 1967) is a British television and film producer.
Life and career
Park founded award-winning UK film and television production company Big Talk in 1995. She left the company in July 2018 to launch a new produc ...
, Rachael Prior, and Joe Cornish
Joseph Murray Cornish (born 20 December 1968) is an English comedian and filmmaker. With his long-time comedy partner, Adam Buxton, he forms the comedy duo Adam and Joe. In 2011, Cornish released his directorial debut ''Attack the Block''. He ...
. Filming began in July 2021 in London.
His new series, The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, which currently consists of two books, is about two outlaws and their infamous heists.
Personal life
Stroud lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his wife Gina and their three children.[
]
Bibliography
Fiction (Solo)
Children's literature
Novella
Teen and YA
Heroes of the Valley
''Heroes of the Valley'' is a 2009 fantasy adventure fiction, adventure novel written by English writer Jonathan Stroud. The protagonist of the novel is Halli Sveinsson, a boy from a village nestled atop a mountain.
Development
Development for ...
was featured on the '' VOYA Magazine's'' Perfect Tens list in 2009.
Non-fiction
Fiction (YA series)
''
Bartimaeus Sequence
The ''Bartimaeus Sequence'' is a series of young adult novels of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It was written by British writer Jonathan Stroud and consists of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010 ...
''
''The Amulet of Samarkand
''The Amulet of Samarkand'' is a children's novel of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It is the first book in the ''Bartimaeus trilogy'' written by English author Jonathan Stroud. The first edition (paperback) was published in September 20 ...
'' was given a starred review by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' and ''Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' in 2003, recommended on Texas Lone Star's YA reading list in 2005, and given commendation for Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2011.
'' Lockwood & Co.''
''The Screaming Staircase
''The Screaming Staircase'' is a young adult, supernatural thriller novel by Jonathan Stroud. It is the first book in the series '' Lockwood & Co.'', and was released on 29 August 2013 by Random House in the United Kingdom, and by Disney-Hyperi ...
'' has been recommended by Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (audiobook) and Children and Teens (ten to fourteen) (2014); Texas Lone Star Reading List (2014); Cooperative Children's Book Center (2014); Look! Hoo's Reading (2014), and Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
The American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, formerly Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults, is a recommendation list of audiobooks presented yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) division.
The Y ...
(2014). '' The Whispering Skull'' was selected by the CCBC Choices (2015) and the Junior Library Guild
Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and H ...
(2015) and was given a starred review by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' (2014), ''Kirkus
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'' (2014), and ''School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' (2014). ''The Hollow Boy
''Lockwood & Co.'' is a young adult supernatural thriller series by Jonathan Stroud. It follows three young operatives of a psychic detection agency (Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins) as they fight ghosts (known as Visitors) i ...
'' was selected by the CCBC Choices (2016) and the Junior Library Guild
Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and H ...
(2016) and was given a starred review by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' (2015) and ''School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' (2015). ''The Creeping Shadow
''Lockwood & Co.'' is a young adult supernatural thriller series by Jonathan Stroud. It follows three young operatives of a psychic detection agency (Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins) as they fight ghosts (known as Visitors) i ...
'' was given a starred review by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' (2016) and was selected by the Junior Library Guild
Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and H ...
as their mystery/adventure novel of 2017. ''The Empty Grave'' was given a starred review by ''Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' in 2017.
''The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne''
Awards and honours
''Bartimaeus'' sequence
''Lockwood & Co.''
Other works
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stroud, Jonathan
1970 births
Living people
British children's writers
British fantasy writers
Alumni of the University of York
People from Bedford
People from St Albans
English male novelists