Born in New York City, Robert Newman (1909–1988) was among the
pioneers of early radio and was chief writer for the Inner
Sanctum Mysteries and Murder at Midnight—forerunners of
The Twilight Zone that remain cult favorites to this day. In
1944 Newman was put in charge of the radio campaign to reelect
Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was also one of the founding members of
the Radio Writers Guild, which became the Writers Guild of
America.
In 1973 Newman began writing books for children, most notably
the Andrew Tillet, Sara Wiggins & Inspector Wyatt
mysteries. The series takes place in Victorian London and follows
the adventures of two teenage amateur detectives who begin
as Baker Street Irregulars. Newman has also written books of
fantasy, among them Merlin’s Mistake and The
Testing of Tertius. His books based on myths and folklore
include Grettirthe Strong, and he has published
two adult novels.
Newman was married to the writer Dorothy Crayder. Their daughter,
Hila Feil, has also published novels for children and young adults.
Newman lived his last days in Stonington, Connecticut.