Alan Garner is an internationally renowned author, whose works include The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Owl Service, The Stone Book Quartet and most recently Thursbitch (Harvill 2003). He has won several prizes for his writing, including the Carnegie Medal, The Guardian Award the Phoenix Award. In 2007, The Times named him one of the 50 Greatest Postwar Writers. He has been awarded the OBE and is also a fellow of the Antiquaries of London.

Alan's books are inspired by, and set in, Cheshire where he grew up, and still lives. His home is on an important archeological site which is cared for by The Blackden Trust, a charitable trust which Alan co-founded in 2004.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, a weekend festival will be held in October 2010 in Alderley Edge in Cheshire.