Of all weathers, snow is the one that has always affected the author Marcus Sedgwick the most. While many people's idea of the ideal holiday involves sun, sea and sand, he makes trips to cold and snowy parts of the world: Russia, Scandinavia, the Arctic Circle. Five years ago, he and his partner bought a mountain house, an old chalet d'alpage high in the Haute Savoie, and for the first time he started to truly understand what it is to live in an environment where extreme amounts of snow are frequent.
Like the six sides of a snowflake, the book has six chapters which explore the art, literature and science of snow, as well as Marcus Sedgwick's own experiences and memories, asking whether it really did snow more during his boyhood in Kent and whether changing climate patterns might mean snow becomes a thing of the past for many of us. He also wonders why snow is so powerful to our imagination, so transformative, and as fundamental as our response to darkness and sunlight.
Marcus Sedgwick is a writer and illustrator. His books for adults and children include Floodland, The Dark Horse, Revolver and The Ghosts of Heaven. He has won many prizes including the Branford Boase Award and the Booktrust Teenage Prize. He lives on the fringes of the French Alps.