About Me
Alexandra Stewart
Sometimes fact is more extraordinary than fiction. That's why I love writing about incredible people and their real-life adventures. My books have been translated into more than seven languages (at the last count) and are sold around the world. When I'm not writing, I work in a school library in Southampton.
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You can find details of all my books here.
Why I Write
This is me (rocking the Paddington Bear knitwear), and my sister, at Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland. It was a good few years ago now (!) but I can still remember what fun we had that day.
I’ve always been fascinated by the past. When I was little, I longed for someone to invent a time machine. It soon became clear this wasn’t going to happen any time soon. So, I did the next best thing: I time-travelled in my imagination – by reading books, visiting places steeped in history and talking to people (most especially my history-mad dad)!
Now I’m older, I'd love to help other children experience the magic of time-travel for themselves. That’s why I write true stories about real people and momentous events – all brought to life by brilliant illustrations (not by me!). I hope that my books will inspire children (and perhaps some adults) to explore more of our world’s rich and exciting past; to understand our present and...who knows...perhaps to make their own mark on history!
My story so far...
Biography
After leaving school, I studied Modern History at Oxford University. I hadn’t a clue what I wanted to do with my life, but all I knew was that I loved reading and writing. So, after graduating, I trained as a journalist on a local newspaper in Wembley, London.
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I ended up as a news reporter for the London Evening Standard. It was unpredictable, hectic and a lot of fun, but, If I’m completely honest, I hated bothering people – and news reporters have to do that a lot!
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So, after one awkward assignment too many, I left journalism. In the years since, I have been a press officer, a speechwriter and a civil servant.
I currently work part-time in a secondary school library in Southampton – where I spend my day surrounded by incredible books and enthusiastic readers.
I live in Wiltshire with my husband, two children, and a grinning Labrador called Jasmine.
Awards
My third book, Darwin & Hooker: A Story of Friendship, Curiosity and Discovery that Changed the World won the 2024 UK Literacy Association (UKLA) 3-14+ Information Shadowing Award and was highly commended in the Association for Science Education (ASE) Book of the Year Award (2023).
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My books have also been longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and shortlisted in the North Somerset Teachers' Book Award.
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Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay is read in schools all over the UK (teaching resources for the book are available here).
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