11 Facts About Siobhan Dowd

On her return to the UK, Siobhan Dowd co-founded, with Rachel Billington, English PEN's readers and writers program.

Siobhan Dowd edited three anthologies in the Threatened Literature Series for the Freedom to Write Committee of the PEN American Center: This Prison Where I Live and, jointly with Ian Hancock and Rajko Djuric, The Roads of the Roma: a PEN Anthology of Gypsy Writers.

Siobhan Dowd was inspired by this success to continue writing for children and developed close friendships with two established children's authors, Lee Weatherly and Fiona Dunbar.

Siobhan Dowd's first novel was A Swift Pure Cry, a 2006 novel about a teenager named Shell, a girl who lives in County Cork, Ireland.

Siobhan Dowd had the characters, a premise, and a beginning.

Siobhan Dowd had undertaken at least one more children's novel before her death, about a young boy coming to terms with his mother's terminal illness.

Siobhan Dowd had discussed it and contracted to write it with editor Denise Johnstone-Burt at Walker Books, who worked with Patrick Ness, author of the acclaimed Chaos Walking trilogy.

Siobhan Dowd spent seven years in New York until she returned to London in 1997, to spend more time with her family.

In September 2004, Siobhan Dowd was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

Siobhan Dowd died of breast cancer on 21 August 2007, aged 47.

Siobhan Dowd was interred in the graveyard at St Margaret's Church in Binsey, Oxfordshire.