Award-winning novelist Kate Saunders dies at the age of 62

Tributes have been paid to award-winning novelist and journalist Kate Saunders, following her death at the age of 62.

The author won the Costa Children’s Book Award in 2014 for her book Five Children on the Western Front and was twice shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

She was also known for appearances on television, with roles in sitcom Only Fools and Horses and various BBC arts programmes.

Along with comedian Sandi Toksvig, she appeared as a guest on the first episode of topical news comedy show Have I Got News For You.

Saunders died last Friday, according to a Twitter post by her sister Louisa Saunders.

Sharing a link to an obituary of Saunders, she wrote: “My sister, who we lost last Friday.

“The warmest, bravest, most generous and most brilliant woman I will ever know. Heaven knows how we will live without her.”

As well as Five Children, her novels included The Belfry Witches, The Marrying Game, Storm In The Citadel and The Prodigal Father – for which she won the Betty Trask Award in 1986.

Five Children was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2016, as was her novel The Land of Neverendings in 2019.

She also wrote for various UK publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and Cosmopolitan.

On Monday the official account of Only Fools and Horses tweeted an online tribute to Saunders.