Robert Westall was born on October 7, 1929, in Tynemouth, England. He graduated from the University of Durham with a bachelor's degree in 1953. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the Royal British Army Signal Corps, then continued his studies at the University of London where he received a doctor of fine arts degree in 1957. In 1960 he joined the faculty of the art department at Sir John Deane's College in Norwich, England, where he spent his career.

From 1957 on, almost annually, he published a novel for young readers.

Many of the plots stem from his own childhood experiences during World War II, such as in The Machine Gunners which deals with children changed by war. His interest and love for cats appears in several of his books, including the realistic novel about the wartime experiences of a black cat in Blitzcat.

Many of his novels also stress the...