Children's author is killed on crossing

nlnews@archant.co.uk
27 June 2007

A 72-YEAR-OLD children's author from Wood Green was fatally injured last Thursday in a collision involving a double decker bus on a zebra crossing.

Friends paid tribute this week to grandfather Douglas Hill, of Maryland Road, who was walking along the junction of Aldermans Hill and Green Lanes, in Palmers Green, when the accident took place. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mary Hoffman, also a writer, who used to live in Crouch End and now lives in Oxfordshire, knew him for almost 20 years.

She said: "He was a very successful writer of science fiction and children's books and books for teenagers across a whole age range. Sci-fi and fantasy were his genre. He had just finished a new trilogy the day before - that's something that consoles all of us. He was very happy about it. He was in very good humour.

"He was a lovely, lovely man. He was very softly spoken. Everyone who knew him knew him to be very courteous and chivalrous almost and also extremely witty. He had a very quiet humour. He was universally loved so this has been a terrible blow for all his friends and I'm sure it will be for his sons as well."

Mr Hill, who was originally from Canada, had just finished a new trilogy of books.

Ms Hoffman added: "I think it would be fair to say that his career had not been so stellar recently but he was expecting great things of the new books. I think the first one is coming out next year.

"As a fellow writer it's probably the way I'd like to go, having just finished his trilogy. It had just been finished and he thought it was really good."

The accident took place on Thursday at 2.30pm.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should contact the Accident Investigation Unit at Chadwell Heath Traffic Garage on 020 8597 4874.