John Bell, distinguished literary editor and the man responsible for making Oxford University Press a leader in children's literature, has died aged 85.

Mr Bell helped to foster the careers of several leading postwar children's authors such as William Mayne, Philippa Pearce and Rosemary Sutcliff.

He joined the publishing house in 1945, at a time when OUP wanted to reinvent itself.

Mr Bell was appointed to the children's book team soon after he joined the London office in 1948.

Born in Kingston upon Hull in 1922, Mr Bell was a keen cricketer as well as a scholar - he once took four wickets for nine runs against Drax.

From there he went up to Oriel College, Oxford, to read English, but his studies were interrupted by the war. He resumed his academic course five years later, graduating in 1948.

At OUP, Mr Bell was characterised by his ability to remain sympathetic to the authors and illustrators he was working with.

Between 1953 and 1955, three of "his" books won the Library Association's Carnegie Medal, with no fewer than eight others being highly commended.

After the death of his wife in 1982 and his retirement from OUP, he set up a press of his own at his cottage at Wootton by Woodstock - Backwater Press.

Afflicted by Parkinson's disease, he died on January 21. He is survived by his five daughters.