Diana Wynne Jones was a renowned British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually described as fantasy, some of her work also incorporates science fiction themes and elements of realism. Jones's work often explores themes of time travel and parallel or multiple universes.

Some of her better-known works include the Chrestomanci series, the Dalemark series, the three Moving Castle novels, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Her writing has been cited as an inspiration for several notable authors, including Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman, who described her as "quite simply the best writer for children of her generation."

Diana was born in London to Marjorie (née Jackson) and Richard Aneurin Jones, both teachers. She experienced evacuation during World War II and lived in various places, including Wales, Coniston Water, York, and London, before her family settled in Thaxted, Essex. She studied English at St Anne's College, Oxford.

Jones's work has garnered numerous nominations and awards, including being a finalist for the Hugo Award, multiple nominations for the Locus Award, and winning the Mythopoeic Award twice, a British Fantasy Award in 1999, and a World Fantasy Award in 2007.