Eva Ibbotson was an Austrian-born British novelist, famous for her contributions to children's literature. Born on 21 January 1925, she was originally named Eva Maria Charlotte Michelle Ibbotson (née Wiesner). Her family moved from Austria to England when Hitler came to power.

She studied at Bedford College, Cambridge University, and the University of Durham, where she graduated with a diploma in education in 1965. Initially aiming to become a physiologist, she changed her career path due to the extensive animal testing involved in that field. Instead, she devoted herself to her family, later becoming a teacher in the 1960s.

Ibbotson began her writing career with the television drama Linda Came Today in 1965. She gained fame for her children's novels and some of her works have been reissued for the young adult market. Her historical novel Journey to the River Sea (2001) won her the Smarties Prize in the 9–11 years category, and was a finalist for the Guardian Prize in 2010, the year of her death. Her last book, The Abominables, was also a finalist for the Guardian Prize in 2012.