E. L. Konigsburg (1930 - 2013) whose full name was Elaine Lobl Konigsburg burst onto the literary scene when she simultaneously published her first two novels in 1968, one of which won the Newbury Medal while the other was runner up. She was an avid reader growing up although she described reading as only 'tolerated' in her family. She came from a poor background and although she did well at school was never told about scholarships and worked to earn money to cover college. She worked as a teacher and had a family, begining to write in the mornings when her third and last child went to school. She illustrated some of her books and later wrote some picture books.