James Arnold Watson (born on 8 November 1936 in Darwen, Lancashire) is an English author. He has written 12 novels for young readers including Talking in Whispers (winner of The Other Award from the Children's Rights Workshop,[1] runner-up for the 1984 Carnegie Medal,[2][3] and, in its German translation, winner of the 1987 Buxtehude Bull award[4]), Ticket to Prague,[5] and The Bull Leapers. He has also written three books on media studies, including Media Communications.
His book The Noisy Ducks of Buxtehude is aimed at children and is written in both English and German.
A 1989 profile in the U.K. children's books magazine Books for Keeps noted that a theme of Watson's work was "a universal fight for human rights", and that three of his novels, "adventure thrillers set amid the Spanish Civil War (The Freedom Tree), the Chile of the ‘disappeared’ (Talking in Whispers), and a contemporary Britain where the Establishment closes ranks over nuclear secrecy (Where Nobody Sees)" had been praised "for their exciting action, their passion and their challenge to debate."[6] The Carnegie Medal panel described Talking in Whispers as covering "the difficult theme of oppression in Chile, as seen through the eyes of three teenagers, with great honesty and sincerity."[2]
He has written two plays for senior schools and four plays for radio. He published the novel Fair Game – Steps of the Odessa in 2008.[5]