{{short description|British children's author}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Beth Webb''' is a British author of books for children and teenagers. She has written fifteen books, including the ''Star Dancer'' tetralogy, a fantasy series published by Macmillan,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Agnew |first=Kate |date=26 June 2007 |title=Education: Learn: Critics choice: The book Star Dancer |work=The Guardian |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A165668040/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=bac0180d |access-date=2022-11-24 |via=Gale OneFile}}</ref> as well as the ''Fleabag Trilogy''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=29 November 2006 |title=Children's writer in school visit |work=Evening News |location=Edinburgh, Scotland |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/327744383 |access-date=2022-11-24 |id={{ProQuest|327744383}} }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Beth Webb |url=https://www.bethwebb.co.uk/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=Beth Webb – Author, Storyteller & Illustrator}}</ref> She is also the co-founder of Books Beyond Words, and has illustrated more than twenty titles for adults with learning disabilities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Beth Webb |url=https://englishassociation.ac.uk/interview-with-beth-webb/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=The English Association|date=15 March 2021 }}</ref><ref name=":4" /> She lives in Somerset, near Glastonbury Tor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beth Webb |url=http://www.panmacmillan.com/Authors%20Illustrators/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Contributor&ContributorID=72103&RLE=Author |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012231957/http://www.panmacmillan.com/Authors%20Illustrators/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Contributor&ContributorID=72103&RLE=Author |archive-date=2007-10-12 |accessdate=2008-01-22 |work=PanMacmillan.com}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Webb was born near Hampton Court Palace and grew up in Farnborough, Hampshire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lunaslittlelibrary.wordpress.com/2016/02/18/interview-with-beth-webb/|title=Interview with Beth Webb|website=Luna's Little Library|date=18 February 2016|accessdate=20 September 2024}}</ref> She started writing as a teenager, with her first story published in a magazine when she was fourteen years old.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gamble |first=Nikki |url=http://archive.org/details/writerssecrets0000gamb |title=Writers secrets |date=2011 |publisher=London : Wayland |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7502-6520-1}}</ref> She studied sociology and psychology at university, and traveled around Europe for three years, at one point living in a houseboat in Amsterdam.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thorpe |first=Laura |date=23 April 2007 |title=Author heading for the stars |work=Somerset County Gazette |url=https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/1347824.author-heading-for-the-stars/ |access-date=2022-11-24}}</ref> After returning to the UK, she worked in London as a journalist and radio broadcaster,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sanderson |first=Caroline |date=19 May 2006 |title=Written in the stars |work=The Bookseller |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=21115381&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2022-11-24 |via=EBSCOHost}}</ref> and later moved to Somerset, where she earned an MFA in creative writing from Bath Spa University.<ref name=":3" />
== Career ==
=== Illustrator === Since founding Books Beyond Words with Sheila Hollins in 1989, Webb has illustrated more than 20 titles for the series,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Beth Webb |url=https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/beth-webb |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=Books Beyond Words}}</ref> which features wordless picture stories covering difficult life events.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last1=Tuffrey-Wijne |first1=Irene |last2=Bernal |first2=Jane |date=June 2003 |title='Getting on' with cancer |volume=6 |work=Learning Disability Practice |issue=5 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A103194126/AONE?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=ba77e867 |access-date=2022-11-25 |via=Gale OneFile}}</ref> As the artist for the book ''Getting On With Cancer'' (2002), Webb was closely involved in the development process, working with an editorial committee including advisers with learning disabilities, clinicians, and health services representatives, as well as trial readers.<ref name=":5" /> In 2005, ''Learning Disability Practice'' commended her "simply drawn and carefully crafted illustrations" in the books ''When Dad Died'' and ''When Mum Died''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Read |first=Susan |title=When Dad Died, When Mum Died |volume=8 |work=Learning Disability Practice |issue=6 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A134577013/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cf271bfc |access-date=2022-11-24 |via=Gale OneFile}}</ref>
=== Writer === Webb has taught creative writing to young people since 1990,<ref name=":1" /> in schools and in workshops for ages eight up to 80 years old.<ref name=":0" /> She dedicated her book ''Star Dancer'' to the "Kilvites",<ref>{{Cite book |last=Webb |first=Beth |title=Star Dancer |publisher=Macmillan Children's Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-330-44570-2 |location=London}}</ref> a group of young writers who attended her creative writing course at the Kilve Court Residential Educational Centre.<ref>''[https://issuu.com/kilvecourt/docs/kilve_court_autumn_winter_2016_17_b Kilve Court Outdoor Learning]''. Autumn/Winter 2016–2017. pp. 2–3.</ref>
Over the years, she has written books for children across different age groups, including six- to eight year olds, older children, and teens.<ref name=":3" /> Her four-book series starting with ''Star Dancer'', published by Macmillan in 2006, was her first major commercial success.<ref name=":3" /> For the ''Star Dancer'' series, she did extensive research into British folklore, archaeology, and history.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 2005 |title=CHILDREN'S NEWS: Briefs |work=Bookseller |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19429527&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2022-11-24 |via=EBSCOHost}}</ref>
She has also worked as a performance storyteller.<ref name=":0" />
Webb was a guest of honour at the science-fiction convention ArmadaCon in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=ArmadaCon Guests for 2023 |url=https://www.armadacon.org/2023/guests/ |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>
== Bibliography == * ''Disbelieved'' (2018) * ''Stone Keeper'' (2013) * ''Wave Hunter'' (2008) * ''Fire Dreamer'' (2007)<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Weldon |first=Susie |date=19 July 2008 |title=Daydream believer: Somerset writer Beth Webb daydreams her novels in her garden, which has seating areas based on magical Druidic directions |pages=14 |work=Western Daily Press |location=Bristol, England |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/334925259 |access-date=2022-11-25 |id={{ProQuest|334925259}} }}</ref> * ''Junkyard Dragon'' (2007) * ''Star Dancer'' (2006) * ''The Dragons of Kilve'' (2004, 2nd Edition) * ''Boo Hoo the Ogre'' (2003) * ''Fleabag and the Ring's End'' (2000) * ''Wanted: One Dragon'' (1999) * ''Fleabag and the Fire Cat'' (1997) * ''The Witch of Wookey Hole'' (1997)<ref name=":2" /> * ''Foxdown Wood'' (1997) * ''Fleabag and the Ring Fire'' (1995)<ref name=":2" /> * ''The Magic in the Pool of Making'' (1992)<ref name=":2" />
==References== <references />
==External links== {{Portal |Children's literature}} * [http://www.bethwebb.co.uk/ Beth Webb official website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Beth}} Category:20th-century English women novelists Category:20th-century English novelists Category:21st-century English women novelists Category:Alumni of Bath Spa University Category:English women children's writers Category:People from Farnborough, Hampshire Category:People from Hampton, London Category:Writers from Hampshire Category:Writers from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Category:Writers with dyslexia Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:British women writers of young adult literature Category:English women science fiction and fantasy writers