Other previous winners include Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Terry Pratchett and CS Lewis.

BBC: Roddy Doyle up for Carnegie Medal

Dickinson is the writer of The Changes Trilogy, Tulku, and Merlin Dreams, while Anne Fine's book Madame Doubtfire inspired the Hollywood film Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams.

BBC: Blake named children's laureate

Previous winners have been Anne Fine and illustrator Quentin Blake.

BBC: Michael Morpurgo

Anne Fine, author of more than 50 books including the Killer Cat series, told the Independent the rules would leave children "further impoverished" and that she would only visit foreign schools in future.

BBC: School safety 'insult' to Pullman