David Whitley (born 1984) is a British writer, author of the young adult/teen fantasy ''
The Midnight Charter'' and two subsequent books in the
Agora Trilogy. ''The Midnight Charter'' was published in August 2009 and was Whitley's
debut novel.
Whitley was born in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
in the North West of England, where he was a pupil at
The King's School. At the age of 17, he entered his first novel for the
Kathleen Fiddler Award and was shortlisted. Still studying for an English degree at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, he submitted a children's story for the
Cheshire Prize for Literature and, at 20, became its youngest ever winner.
Method of writing
Whitley claims he is an obsessive planner, stating that he has "at least ten pages of notes" before he starts, including a plot outline, description of characters and a chapter-by-chapter break down of the book. This means he has a direction, and allows him to invent details and sometimes entirely new characters as he goes along, knowing full well that they will not obstruct the over-all structure of the book.
Bibliography
Agora trilogy
*''
The Midnight Charter'' (2009)
*''
The Children of the Lost'' (2010)
*''
The Canticle of Whispers'' (2013)
References
External links
David Whitley's official websiteInterview With David Whitley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley, David
1984 births
Living people
British children's writers
People from Chester
Alumni of the University of Oxford
People educated at The King's School, Chester