Ann Pilling (born 17 October 1944) is an English author and poet best known for young adult fiction. She has also written horror fiction under the pen name Ann Cheetham.
For Henry's Leg, published by Viking Kestrel in 1985, she won the annual Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a once-in-a-lifetime book award judged by a panel of British children's writers.
Pilling was born in Warrington, Cheshire, and grew up in a house "groaning with books". She started writing at eight and she was going to church alone at twelve. She read English at King's College London and wrote a Master's thesis on C. S. Lewis.
The first four books (Dark Powers series) were originally published as by Ann Cheetham.
Black Harvest (1983)The Beggar's Curse (1984)The Witch of Lagg (1986)The Pit (1987)The Empty Frame (1997)The Year of the Worm (1984)Henry's Leg (1985)The Friday Parcel (1986)No Guns No Oranges (1986)Our Best Stories (1986), eds. Pilling and A. WoodThe Big Pink (1987)The Beast in the Basement (1988)Dustbin Charlie (1988)On the Lion's Side (1988)Stan (1988)The Big Biscuit (1989)The Jungle Sale (1989)Our Kid (1989)Getting Rid of Aunt Mildred (1990)The Donkey's Day Out (1990)Before I Go to Sleep: Bible Stories, Poems, and Prayers for Children, selected and retold, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (London: Kingfisher, New York: Crown Publishers, Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1990); reissued 2000 as A Kingfisher Treasury of Bible Stories, Poems and Prayers for Bedtime OCLC 59564291The Boy with His Leg in the Air (1991)Vote for Baz (1992)Considering Helen (1993)The Kingfisher Children's Bible: Stories from the Old and New Testaments, retold, illus. Denton (2003); reissued 2003 as The Kingfisher Book of Bible Stories OCLC 53072371Realms of Gold: Myths and Legends from Around the World, retold, illus. Denton (1993); reissued 2003 as The Kingfisher Treasury of Myths and Legends OCLC 52470749The Baked Bean Kids (1993)Mother's Daily Scream (1995)The Life of Jesus (1996)Noah's Ark (1996)Amber's Secret (2000)Why Bear Has a Stumpy Tail and Other Creation Stories (2000)The Catnappers: The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (Collins, 2003), as by Ann Cheetham, illus. Clare Mackie OCLC 51107280A Broken Path (1991)Considering Helen (1993)The Hutchinson Illustrated Encyclopedia of British History (1998)Home Field (2008)1986 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Henry's Leg.Her 1988 children's books On the Lion's Side and Stan both made the shortlist for the annual Carnegie Medal.
