Ele Fountain

Ele Fountain writes contemporary fiction with recurring themes of family, identity and hope. Her books explore subjects which infuse our daily lives, examining the connection between media perception and reality.

She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she wrote her debut novel, Boy 87, about the refugee crisis. It went on to win four awards and was shortlisted for 10 more, including the Waterstones children’s book prize. Her latest novel, Wild, focusses on our relationship with the natural world. Her books have sold to 12 countries worldwide and been nominated for more than 30 awards. She has also written for the Sunday Telegraph, SCOOP, BookTrust and numerous online publications.

Before writing, Ele worked as an editor in children’s publishing where she was responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of many prize-winning and bestselling authors. She has discussed writing for younger readers on Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio London, Scotland and the World Service. She speaks regularly at schools and literary festivals, delivering talks and workshops drawing on 20 years’ experience of writing critique.

Ele lives in Hampshire with her husband, daughters, lots of spiders and a stripy ginger cat that thinks he is a tiger.