Joseph Delaney, author of the Spook’s fantasy book series, has died aged 77, his family has said.
He died on August 16 ‘after an illness, which, in his indomitable style, he kept to himself and his family so he could carry on with writing as much as he possibly could’, a statement from publisher Penguin Random House on behalf on the family said.
Delaney wrote dark fantasy series Spook’s, which narrated the adventures of Tom Ward.
The series sold more than 4.5 million copies around the world, was translated into 30 languages and won prizes, including the Lancashire Book Award.
His first book, The Spook’s Apprentice, was published in 2004 and was later adapted into the 2014 film Seventh Son, which starred Ben Barnes, Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.
Fantasy author Joseph Delaney (pictured) died on August 16 aged 77 after battling an illness
The author’s children – Joanne, Paul and Stephen, paid tribute to their father’s ‘boundless’ imagination, saying there is a ‘great deal’ of him in his writing on ‘every page’.
In a statement the family said: ‘Dad loved writing and lived his dream over the last 18 years as an author published by Random House and Penguin.
‘His imagination was boundless, and he could have kept creating new and exciting stories for years to come.
‘He enjoyed meeting fans throughout the world and hearing their thoughts on his books.
‘We are very proud of what he achieved. There is a great deal of Dad in his writing, and we see that in every page.
‘When we were young children, Dad would tell us very scary stories that should not have been told after dark! We are so fortunate to have those memories.’
Delaney’s first book, The Spook’s Apprentice, was published in 2004 and was later adapted into the 2014 film Seventh Son (pictured), which starred Ben Barnes (left), Jeff Bridges (right) and Julianne Moore
They remembered him as a ‘a wonderful dad and a deeply caring man with an infectious sense of humour, especially after a glass of red wine’.
Their statement concluded: ‘We hope that his books will inspire children and adults to create stories and live dreams of their own. That would have made him happy.
‘We would like to thank Penguin Random House as well as all the wonderful people who helped him on his adventure, and especially everyone who has read his books.’
Delaney was born in Preston in 1945 and later lived in Manchester.
He began his career as a teacher and initially wrote under the pseudonym J. K. Haderack.
He saw success with his bestselling series The Wardstone Chronicles, Brother Wulf, Arena 13 and Aberrations and wrote more than 25 novels for children.
The author wrote dark fantasy series Spook’s, which narrated the adventures of Tom Ward. The series sold more than 4.5 million copies around the world, was translated into 30 languages and won prizes, including the Lancashire Book Award
Ruth Knowles, publishing director for Puffin, said: ‘I was so proud to have been his editor for many years.
‘It was frustrating at times – we would meet for a beer in Manchester, and in response to my questions he would simply smile and remind me every time that he followed ‘The Bram Stoker’ method of writing (meaning nothing was ever planned or plotted in advance!) so I would have to wait for answers – but it was also, of course, completely magical as the creatures and characters from his worlds would slowly come into focus, journeying into brilliantly terrifying adventures.
‘I hope he’s with the ghosts of his beloved Lancashire now and that there’s some delicious red wine on tap. We are so very proud to publish him.’
Delaney is survived by his second wife, Rani, his two sons and daughter, and his grandchildren.
Tributes to the children’s author poured in on Twitter