# Jennifer Killick

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**Jennifer Killick** is an English author of children's [horror fiction](/source/Horror_fiction). Her work, which includes the *Crater Lake* (2020–2021) and *Dread Wood* (2022–2024) series, has received a number of accolades, including a [Children's Book Award](/source/Children's_Book_Award_(UK)).

## Early life

Killick was interested in writing from a young age but did not initially pursue it. She later pursued a [Master of Arts](/source/Master_of_Arts) (MA) at [Brunel University London](/source/Brunel_University_London).[1]

## Career

Killick wrote the first draft of her debut *Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink* for her Creative Writing MA. After pitching it to no avail, she rewrote it under the mentorship of the Golden Egg Academy's Imogen Cooper.[2] In 2016, Firefly acquired the rights to publish Killick's debut novel *Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink* in 2017.[3][4] *Alex Sparrow and the Furry Fury* and *Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse*, released in 2018 and 2019 respectively, completed the trilogy. Announced in 2019, Killick reunited with Firefly for the publication of the Year 6 adventure book *Crater Lake* in 2020[5][6] and its sequel *Evolution* in 2021.[7] *Crater Lake* was named children's book of the week by Alex O'Connell in *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*[8] and shortlisted for Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12) at the 2022 CrimeFest Awards. Also in 2019 came the standalone book *Mo, Lottie and the Junkers*, illustrated by Gareth Conway.[9][10]

Killick moved to Farshore (a [HarperCollins UK](/source/HarperCollins_UK) imprint) for the publication of her next [comedy horror](/source/Comedy_horror) series, starting with a two-book deal for *Dread Wood*, published in 2022, and its sequel *Fear Ground*.[11] *Dread Wood* won the 2023 [Children's Book Award](/source/Children's_Book_Award_(UK)) in the Older Readers category. The novel was also commended at the Fantastic Book Awards and won the 2024 Bolton Children's Fiction Award. Farshore would acquire further installments in the *Dread Wood* series.[12][13] One of those installments *Creepy Creations* appeared on the 2024 [World Book Day](/source/World_Book_Day) list.[14][15] The series ended with *Terror Tower* in 2024.[16]

This was followed by the book *Dread Detention* and its sequel *Screech School*.[17] Killick's forthcoming series is called *Serial Chillers*.[18]

## Personal life

Killick lives in [Uxbridge](/source/Uxbridge) with her husband. Including from previous relationships, they have five children between them.[1] She was diagnosed with [ulcerative colitis](/source/Ulcerative_colitis) at age 28 while pregnant with her son.[19]

## Bibliography

### *Alex Sparrow*

- *Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink* (2017)
- *Alex Sparrow and the Furry Fury* (2018)
- *Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse* (2019)

### *Crater Lake*

- *Crater Lake* (2020)
- *Evolution* (2021)

### *Dread Wood*

- *Dread Wood* (2022)
- *Fear Ground* (2022)
- *Flock Horror* (2023)
- *Deadly Deep* (2023)
- *Fright Bite* (2024) - *Creepy Creations* (2024)
- *Terror Tower* (2024)

### *Creatures & Teachers*

- *Dread Detention* (2024)
- *Screech School*

### Standalones

- *Mo, Lottie and the Junkers* (2019)
- *Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods* (2025)

### Edited volumes

- *Read, Scream, Repeat: Thirteen Spine-tingling Tales* (2023)[20]

## Awards and honours

Year Award Category Title Result 2022 CrimeFest Awards Best Crime Novel for Children (ages 8-12) Crater Lake [21] 2023 Fantastic Book Awards Dread Wood [22] Children's Book Award Older Readers [23][24] Bolton Children's Fiction Award [25]

## References

1. ["An Interview with Jennifer Killick"](https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/advice/interview-with-jennifer-killick). *Writers & Artists*. 13 October 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241112121258/https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/advice/interview-with-jennifer-killick) 12 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. ["Author Interview: Jennifer Killick"](https://www.mybookcorner.co.uk/author-interview-jennifer-killick). *My Book Corner*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240907150333/https://www.mybookcorner.co.uk/author-interview-jennifer-killick/) 7 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Eyre, Charlotte (9 June 2016). ["Firefly to publish Jennifer Killick"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/firefly-publish-jennifer-killick-333301). *The Bookseller*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250522185014/https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/firefly-publish-jennifer-killick-333301) 22 May 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. A Laffen (13 April 2020). ["Alex Sparrow & the Really Big Stink – Jennifer Killick"](https://elmhurstjuniorschool.org.uk/alex-sparrow-the-really-big-stink-jennifer-killick/). *Elmhurst Junior School*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231211130235/https://elmhurstjuniorschool.org.uk/alex-sparrow-the-really-big-stink-jennifer-killick/) 11 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. Bayley, Sian (21 May 2019). ["Firefly lands Killick's middle grade sci-fi horror"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/firefly-lands-killicks-middle-grade-sci-fi-horror-1009256). *The Bookseller*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Eddy (19 May 2020). ["Getting to know: Jennifer Killick"](https://stoomio.com/getting-to-know-jennifer-killick/). *Stoomio*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200604223449/https://stoomio.com/getting-to-know-jennifer-killick/) 4 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. Hackett, Tamsin (7 May 2020). ["Firefly signs second middle-grade novel by Jennifer Killick"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/firefly-signs-second-middle-grade-novel-jennifer-killick-1202285). *The Bookseller*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. O'Connell, Alex (7 March 2020). ["Crater Lake by Jennifer Killixk review"](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/crater-lake-by-jennifer-killick-review-cqzxrfqtn). *The Times*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Eagleton, Ian (6 June 2019). ["Mo, Lottie and the Junkers: An interview with Jennifer Killick"](https://thereadingrealm.co.uk/2019/06/06/mo-lottie-and-the-junkers-an-interview-with-jennifer-killick/). *The Reading Realm*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241106105636/https://thereadingrealm.co.uk/2019/06/06/mo-lottie-and-the-junkers-an-interview-with-jennifer-killick/) 6 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Cummins, Jo (4 June 2019). ["'Mo, Lottie and the Junkers,' by Jennifer Killick, illustrated by Gareth Conway."](https://librarygirlandbookboy.com/2019/06/04/mo-lottie-and-the-junkers-by-jennifer-killick-illustrated-by-gareth-conway/). *Library Girl and Book Boy*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230326211133/https://librarygirlandbookboy.com/2019/06/04/mo-lottie-and-the-junkers-by-jennifer-killick-illustrated-by-gareth-conway/) 26 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Chandler, Mark (16 March 2021). ["Killick moves to Farshore in two-book deal"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/killick-moves-farshore-two-book-deal-1248724). *The Bookseller*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. ["Farshore snares two more comedy horror tales from Killick"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-snares-two-more-comedy-horror-tales-from-killick). *The Bookseller*. 10 June 2022. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250522084752/https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-snares-two-more-comedy-horror-tales-from-killick) 22 May 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Brown, Lauren (21 September 2023). ["Farshore signs two new books in Killick's Dread Wood series"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-signs-two-new-books-in-killicks-dread-wood-series). *The Bookseller*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Robinson, Gregory (29 February 2024). ["It's World Book Day 2024 – here’s what to know and how to use the £1 tokens"](https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/29/world-book-day-2024-use-1-tokens-20365739/). *Metro*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240328043853/https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/29/world-book-day-2024-use-1-tokens-20365739/) 28 March 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. ["Jennifer Killick on being a World Book Day author"](https://fcbg.org.uk/jennifer-killick-on-being-a-world-book-day-author/). *The Federation of Children's Book Groups*. 9 January 2024. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250218202813/https://fcbg.org.uk/jennifer-killick-on-being-a-world-book-day-author/) 18 February 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. Connor, Stephen. ["Dread Wood: Terror Tower"](https://justimagine.co.uk/childrens-books-review/dread-wood-terror-tower/). *Just Imagine*. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. McCarrey, Cat (1 September 2024). ["Fiction: Screech School by Jennifer Killick"](https://www.slj.com/review/screech-school). *SLJ*. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. Wood, Heloise (17 July 2024). ["Farshore snares Jennifer Killick's spooky middle grade series"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-snares-jennifer-killicks-spooky-middle-grade-series). *The Bookseller*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240717124327/https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-snares-jennifer-killicks-spooky-middle-grade-series) 17 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. Killick, Jennifer (29 April 2012). ["'Ulcerative colitis is painful, crippling and humiliating'"](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/29/ulcerative-colitis-painful-crippling-humiliating). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 6 March 2024.

1. ["Farshore gobbles up collection of spooky horror stories curated by Killick"](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/farshore-gobbles-up-collection-of-spooky-horror-stories-curated-by-killick). *The Bookseller*. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

1. ["Crimefest 2022 Awards Shortlist"](https://www.crimefest.com/awards-cf/awards-history/#award22). *CrimeFest*. 18 March 2022. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250903004335/https://www.crimefest.com/awards-cf/awards-history/#award22) 3 September 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 September 2025.

1. ["Children's authors and illustrators crowned at Fantastic Book Awards celebration"](https://news.lancashire.gov.uk/news/childrens-top-authors-and-illustrators-crowned-at-awards-celebration-1). *Lancashire County Council*. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

1. Kemp-Habib, Alice (27 February 2023). ["Biddulph, Brandt and Killick make Children's Book Award shortlist"](https://www.thebookseller.com/news/biddulph-brandt-and-killick-make-childrens-book-award-shortlist). *The Bookseller*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230319173822/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/biddulph-brandt-and-killick-make-childrens-book-award-shortlist) 19 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

1. ["Children's Book Award 2023"](https://ourfp.org/2023/06/13/childrens-book-award-2023/). *Reading for Pleasure*. 13 June 2023. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240415085211/https://ourfp.org/2023/06/13/childrens-book-award-2023/) 15 April 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

1. Chaudhary, Saiqa (3 August 2023). ["Bolton Children's Fiction Award winner is Jennifer Killick"](https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/23694993.bolton-childrens-fiction-award-winner-jennifer-killick/). *The Bolton News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250725045135/https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/23694993.bolton-childrens-fiction-award-winner-jennifer-killick/) 25 July 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2025.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jennifer Killick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Killick) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Killick?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.