Caroline Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Caroline Lawrence is an English American author, best known for The Roman Mysteries
series of historical novels for children. The series is about a Roman
girl called Flavia and her three friends: Nubia (a freed slave girl), Jonathan (a shunned Jewish boy) and Lupus (a beggar boy without a tongue). The series has won numerous awards and has been published in many different languages worldwide. In March 2010, Caroline Lawrence was commissioned to write another history mystery series of books called The Western Mysteries, set in Virginia City Nevada Territory in the early 1860s.
, England
. Her American parents returned to the United States shortly afterwards and she grew up in Bakersfield, California
with her younger brother and sister. Her father taught English
and drama in a local high school and her mother was an artist.
When she was twelve, Caroline's family moved to Stanford University
in northern California
so that her father could study Linguistics
. Caroline inherited her father's love of words and her mother's love of art. She subsequently studied Classics
at Berkeley
, where she won a Marshall Scholarship
to Cambridge
. There, at Newnham College
, she studied Classical Art and Archaeology
.
After Cambridge
, Caroline remained in England
, and later took an MA
in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London
. She then taught Latin
, French
and art at a small London
primary school. In 2000 she wrote The Thieves of Ostia
, the first in a series of children's adventure stories set in Ancient Rome
, the book was published in 2001. The Roman Mysteries combine Caroline's love of art history, ancient languages and travel. Her other passions include cinema, jazz and London. Caroline has a son Simon, from a previous marriage, and she now lives by the Thames in London
with her husband Richard, a graphic designer. In 2009, Caroline won the Classical Association Prize of £5000 for "a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics".
Short stories
Associated non-fiction books include:
The Roman Mysteries
The Roman Mysteries is a series of historical novels for children by Caroline Lawrence. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in 2001, finishing with The Man from Pomegranate Street, published in 2009, and 17 more novels were planned, plus a number of "mini-mysteries" and companion...
series of historical novels for children. The series is about a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
girl called Flavia and her three friends: Nubia (a freed slave girl), Jonathan (a shunned Jewish boy) and Lupus (a beggar boy without a tongue). The series has won numerous awards and has been published in many different languages worldwide. In March 2010, Caroline Lawrence was commissioned to write another history mystery series of books called The Western Mysteries, set in Virginia City Nevada Territory in the early 1860s.
Biography
Caroline was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Her American parents returned to the United States shortly afterwards and she grew up in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
with her younger brother and sister. Her father taught English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and drama in a local high school and her mother was an artist.
When she was twelve, Caroline's family moved to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
so that her father could study Linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. Caroline inherited her father's love of words and her mother's love of art. She subsequently studied Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
at Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where she won a Marshall Scholarship
Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarship, a postgraduate scholarships available to Americans, was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed in 1953. The scholarships serve as a living gift to the United States of America in recognition of the post-World War...
to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. There, at Newnham College
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
, she studied Classical Art and Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
.
After Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Caroline remained in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and later took an MA
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. She then taught Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and art at a small London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
primary school. In 2000 she wrote The Thieves of Ostia
The Thieves of Ostia
The Thieves of Ostia is a 2001 historical novel for children written by Caroline Lawrence, the first book in The Roman Mysteries series. It is set in Ostia Antica, the harbour of ancient Rome, in the last month of the reign of emperor Vespasian....
, the first in a series of children's adventure stories set in Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the book was published in 2001. The Roman Mysteries combine Caroline's love of art history, ancient languages and travel. Her other passions include cinema, jazz and London. Caroline has a son Simon, from a previous marriage, and she now lives by the Thames in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her husband Richard, a graphic designer. In 2009, Caroline won the Classical Association Prize of £5000 for "a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics".
The Roman Mysteries series
- The Thieves of OstiaThe Thieves of OstiaThe Thieves of Ostia is a 2001 historical novel for children written by Caroline Lawrence, the first book in The Roman Mysteries series. It is set in Ostia Antica, the harbour of ancient Rome, in the last month of the reign of emperor Vespasian....
(2001) - The Secrets of VesuviusThe Secrets of VesuviusThe Secrets of Vesuvius is a children's historical novel set in Roman times by Caroline Lawrence. The novel is the second in the Roman Mysteries series; sequel to The Thieves of Ostia and prequel to The Pirates of Pompeii novels...
(2001) - The Pirates of PompeiiThe Pirates of PompeiiThe Pirates of Pompeii is a children's historical novel set in Roman times by Caroline Lawrence. The novel is the third in the Roman Mysteries series.- Plot :...
(2002) - The Assassins of RomeThe Assassins of RomeThe Assassins of Rome is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence published on 17 October 2002 by Orion Books. It is the fourth book of The Roman Mysteries series.-Plot introduction:The novel is set in Ostia and Rome in September AD 79...
(2002) - The Dolphins of LaurentumThe Dolphins of LaurentumThe Dolphins of Laurentum is a historical novel by Caroline Lawrence published on February 6, 2003 by Orion Books. It is the fifth novel in the The Roman Mysteries series.-Plot:...
(2003) - The Twelve Tasks of Flavia GeminaThe Twelve Tasks of Flavia GeminaThe Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published on June 19, 2003. The sixth book of the Roman Mysteries series, it is set in Ostia in December AD 79, during the Saturnalia. Its central themes are love and marriage.-Plot introduction:The action of...
(2003) - The Enemies of JupiterThe Enemies of JupiterThe Enemies of Jupiter is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence published on 6 November, 2003 by Orion Books. It is the seventh book of the Roman Mysteries series.-Plot introduction:...
(2003) - The Gladiators from CapuaThe Gladiators from CapuaThe Gladiators from Capua is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published on June 3, 2004. The eighth book of the Roman Mysteries series, it is set primarily in the city of Rome in March AD 80, during the Inaugural Games at the newly-built Flavian Amphitheatre, now known as the...
(2004) - The Colossus of RhodesThe Colossus of Rhodes (novel)The Colossus of Rhodes is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2005. The ninth book of the Roman Mysteries series, it is set in spring AD 80, partly aboard ship in the Mediterranean, partly on the Greek islands of Symi and Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes is a children's...
(2005) - The Fugitive from CorinthThe Fugitive from CorinthThe Fugitive from Corinth is the 10th book in the popular Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2005. It is set in Greece in AD 80, between Corinth and Athens...
(2005) - The Sirens of SurrentumThe Sirens of SurrentumThe Sirens of Surrentum is a children's historical novel set in Roman times by Caroline Lawrence. The novel is the eleventh in The Roman Mysteries series.- Plot summary:...
(2006) - The Charioteer of DelphiThe Charioteer of DelphiThe Charioteer of Delphi is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2006. It is the twelfth volume of the Roman Mysteries series. Like several of Lawrence’s novels, it explores a particular aspect of daily life in Ancient Rome: in this case, chariot racing.-Plot...
(2006) - The Slave-girl from JerusalemThe Slave-girl from JerusalemThe Slave-girl from Jerusalem is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the thirteenth in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2007. It is set in December A.D. 80 in and around Ostia, and deals with death, slavery and the Roman legal system.-Plot summary:Jonathan's...
(2007) - The Beggar of VolubilisThe Beggar of VolubilisThe Beggar of Volubilis is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the fourteenth in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2007...
(2007) - The Scribes from AlexandriaThe Scribes from AlexandriaThe Scribes from Alexandria is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the fifteenth in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2008. It is set during the reign of Titus, primarily in Roman Egypt.-Plot introduction:...
(2008) - The Prophet from EphesusThe Prophet from EphesusThe Prophet from Ephesus is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the sixteenth in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2009. It is set during the reign of Titus, primarily in the Roman province of Asia.-Plot introduction:...
(2009) - The Man from Pomegranate StreetThe Man from Pomegranate StreetThe Man from Pomegranate Street is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the seventeenth and last in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2009. It is set immediately after the death of Titus, primarily in the countryside around Rome.-Title:Pomegranate Street is a...
(2009)
Short stories
- The Code of RomulusThe Code of RomulusThe Code of Romulus is a children's novella by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of World Book Day. It is a re-publication of the short story Bread and Circuses that appeared in the anthology The Mammoth Book of Roman Whodunits published in 2003.The story takes...
(World Book day promotion) (2007) - Trimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteriesTrimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteriesTrimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteries is a collection of stories by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2007 as part of the Roman Mysteries series. The stories are set in Ostia and Rome between AD 79 and AD 81, in the intervals of time between the novels...
(2007) - The Legionary from Londinium and other mini-mysteries (2010)
Associated non-fiction books include:
- The First Roman Mysteries Quiz Book (2007)
- The Roman Mysteries Treasury (2007)
- From Ostia to Alexandria with Flavia Gemina (2009)