Diana Wynne Jones

[steepholm]

Very sad to hear of the death of Diana Wynne Jones this morning.

I visited her in the hospice a few times over the last week, and it was noticeable how rapidly she was declining. They had been hoping to bring her home yesterday, but she was pronounced too ill for that - so I'm not surprised by this, but still shocked.

She had been in a good deal of pain, and the painkillers were making her drift in and out of consciousness much of the time. Also, the cancer had affected her eyesight. But when she was awake her mind and her humour were still there, even when I last saw her on Wednesday. I shall miss her a great deal.

Comments

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

This really breaks my heart a bit. I don't think anybody else ever had such an influence on how I write, maybe excepting Susan Cooper, and I still read all her books like old friends. You're lucky to have known her, I think; I wish that I could have. Very, very sad. :(