Eva Ibbotson was an Austrian-born British novelist, famous for her contributions to children's literature. Born on 21 January 1925 in Vienna, Austria, as Eva Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner, she moved to England when Hitler came into power. Ibbotson attended Bedford College and graduated in 1945, later attending Cambridge University and the University of Durham, where she earned a diploma in education in 1965. Initially intending to be a physiologist, she changed her career path due to ethical concerns over animal testing and pursued teaching.

She began her writing career with the television drama "Linda Came Today" in 1965. Ibbotson is best known for the historical novel "Journey to the River Sea" (2001), which won the Smarties Prize and was a runner-up for the Guardian Prize. Her novels, initially written for adults, have been reissued for young adults. At the time of her death, she was a finalist for the 2010 Guardian Prize, and her last book, "The Abominables", was a finalist for the same award in 2012. Eva Ibbotson passed away on 20 October 2010 in Newcastle, England.