 First edition | |
| Author | Alan Garner |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fantasy novel, horror, supernatural fiction |
| Publisher | William Collins, Sons |
Publication date | 1967 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 156 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0001846035 |
| OCLC | 156462103 |
| LC Class | PZ7.G18417 Ow[1] |
The Owl Service is a low fantasy novel for young adults by Alan Garner, published by Collins in 1967. Set in modern Wales, it is an adaptation of the story of the mythical Welsh woman Blodeuwedd, an "expression of the myth" in the author's words.
Garner won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British author.[2] It was named one of the top ten Medal-winning works for the 70th anniversary celebration in 2007, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.[3] Garner also won the second annual Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a similar award that authors may not win twice.[4] Only six books have won both awards in the 45 years from 1966 to 2011.[a]
The mythical Blodeuwedd is featured in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. She is a woman created from flowers by the king of Gwynedd, Math, and the magician and trickster Gwydion, for a man who was cursed to take no human wife. She betrays her husband Lleu in favour of another man, Gronw, and is turned into an owl as punishment for inducing Gronw to kill Lleu. In Garner's tale three teenagers find themselves re-enacting the story. They awaken the legend by finding plates from a dinner service with an owl pattern, which gives the novel its title.
Henry Z. Walck published the first US edition in 1968.[1]
- ^ a b "book | the owl service". Library of Congress. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "Archive | Alan Garner | The Owl Service". The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenway Children's Book Awards. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018.
- ^ "70 Years Celebration". The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenway Children's Book Awards. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
- ^ "Guardian children's fiction prize relaunched". The Guardian. 12 March 2001. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).