British writer of novels and shorter fiction who is praised for her deft characterizations of alienated people and her sensitivity to the nuances of family relationships.

Howard worked as an actress in repertory theatre in Devon, Eng., and at Stratford-upon-Avon, and during World War II she was a broadcaster for the British Broadcasting Corporation. After the war she worked as an editor. Her writing is acclaimed for its technique as well as for its evocative, tightly drawn scenes delineating tensions and secrets between parents and children and between spouses. Among her novels are The Beautiful Visit (1950), The Long View (1956), The Sea Change (1959), After Julius (1965), and Something in Disguise (1969). The last two were later adapted as television plays for which Howard wrote the scripts. Her other novels include Odd Girl Out (1972), Getting It Right (1982; filmed 1989), and the quartet of books known as the Cazalet Chronicles—The Light Years (1990), Marking Time (1991), Confusion (1993), and Casting Off (1995). Among her works of short fiction are We Are for the Dark (1951), a collection of ghost stories, and Mr. Wrong (1975), a volume of collected short stories. In addition to writing fiction, Howard edited The Lover's Companion (1978) and Green Shades: An Anthology of Plants, Gardens, and Gardeners (1991). She also composed scripts for television, including Upstairs, Downstairs. She was married for a time to the novelist Kingsley Amis.