Ian Serraillier

Ian Serraillier (1912–1994) was an English novelist, poet and educator best known for writing historical and adventure stories for younger readers. Born in London, he studied at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, before working as an English teacher. A committed Quaker and pacifist, he was registered as a conscientious objector during the Second World War and served as an air-raid warden. In 1948, he and his wife, Anne, founded the New Windmill Series, which introduced generations of schoolchildren to accessible editions of classic and contemporary literature.

His most celebrated novel, The Silver Sword, follows four children attempting to reunite with their parents amid the destruction and displacement of post-war Europe. The book was also published in the United States as Escape from Warsaw and became a widely read classic of children’s historical fiction. Serraillier also retold stories from Greek and Roman mythology, Arthurian legend, Beowulf and the works of Chaucer, combining traditional narratives with clear, vivid storytelling for younger audiences.