Jeanette Winterson

Jeanette Winterson was born in Manchester, England, and adopted by Pentecostal parents who brought her up in the nearby mill-town of Accrington. As a Northern working class girl she was not encouraged to be clever. Her adopted father was a factory worker, her mother stayed at home. There were only six books in the house, including the Bible and Cruden's Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments. Strangely, one of the other books was Malory's Morte d'Arthur, and it was this that started her life quest of reading and writing. The house had no bathroom either, which was fortunate because it meant that Jeanette could read her books by flashlight in the outside toilet. Reading was not much approved unless it was the Bible. Her parents intended her for the missionary field. Schooling was erratic but Jeanette had got herself into a girl's grammar school and later she read English at Oxford University. This was not an easy transition. Jeanette had left home at 16 after falling in love with another girl. While she took her A levels she lived in various places, supporting herself by evening and weekend work. In a year off to earn money, she worked as a domestic in a lunatic asylum.

---

Featured Books, with extracts by Jeanette Winterson

The Lion, The Unicorn and Me: The Donkey's Christmas Story
Jeanette Winterson
In this beautifully evocative retelling of the story of the very first Christmas, the humble donkey is chosen above all the other animals, including the kingly lion and the proud unicorn, for a vital journey of discovery and wonder.  This...
Featured in: 5+ readers | 7+ readers | Books of the Month
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/11/2011
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

The Battle of the Sun
Jeanette Winterson
A rollercoaster of a seventeenth century adventure begins with Jack’s dramatic kidnapping on his twelfth birthday. Jack’s been selected as the Radiant Boy and the evil Magus needs to get his hands on him so that he can turn London into a city...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers | Books of the Month | Ebooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 07/06/2010
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

The Battle of the Sun
Jeanette Winterson
A rollercoaster of a seventeenth century adventure begins with Jack’s dramatic kidnapping on his twelfth birthday. Jack’s been selected as the Radiant Boy and the evil Magus needs to get his hands on him so that he can turn London...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Hardback - Released: 02/11/2009
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

The Lion, the Unicorn and Me: The Donkey's Christmas Story (collector's edition)
Jeanette Winterson
A wonderful collector's edition signed by the author of this beautifully evocative retelling of the story of the very first Christmas where the humble donkey is chosen above all the other animals, including the kingly lion and the proud unicorn,...
Featured in: 5+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/10/2009
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

The Lion, The Unicorn and Me: The Donkey's Christmas Story
Jeanette Winterson
In this beautifully evocative retelling of the story of the very first Christmas, the humble donkey is chosen above all the other animals, including the kingly lion and the proud unicorn, for a vital journey of discovery and wonder.  This...
Featured in: 5+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/10/2009
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

Tanglewreck
Jeanette Winterson
Silver finds herself caught up in the exciting adventures to stop time vanishing. Helped by her friend Gabriel, she must find the Timekeeper – the only thing that will keep time regular - and so prevent either the wicked Regalia...
Featured in: 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/06/2007
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

Tanglewreck
Jeanette Winterson
Silver and Gabriel must save the Timekeeper from the evil Abel Darkwater and Regalia Mason if the passing of time is to be kept predictable and safe and if the Time Tornadoes are to be kept out. How can they...
Featured in: 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Hardback - Released: 03/07/2006
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit
Jeanette Winterson
This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts. At sixteen,...
Featured in: 14+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 05/09/1991
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy