Who wrote the 2009 Newbery Medal-winning novel The Graveyard Book?

Neil Gaiman wrote The Graveyard Book, which won the 2009 Newbery Medal. Published in 2008, the novel follows Nobody “Bod” Owens, an orphan raised by the supernatural residents of a graveyard after his family is murdered.

Gaiman drew on an idea he first had in 1985 after watching his young son ride a tricycle near a graveyard. He imagined a story inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, but relocated to a cemetery. It took decades for the concept to become the finished novel.

The book’s dark premise is balanced by humor, adventure, and themes of family and growing up. Dave McKean illustrated the American edition, while Chris Riddell illustrated the British children’s edition; neither is the author. The Graveyard Book also won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novel and the 2010 Carnegie Medal, making its award history unusually broad.