Felicity Pulman
Encyclopedia
Felicity Pulman is an Australia
n author
with an interest in crime, history and fantasy. Her novels Ghost Boy and the Shalott trilogy reflect her fascination with such possibilities as knowledge travelling through time, ghosts, parallel realities and reincarnation. Her new medieval crime series for older teenagers, The Janna Mysteries
, indulges her love of crime, history, plants and herbal healing. Her short stories for adults have won several awards. Many have also been published, as have Felicity's numerous articles on various topics including writing and the creative process. Felicity is a popular presenter at schools, conferences and writers festivals, where she talks about her work and/or gives workshops for students and budding authors.
,now known as Masvingo, Zimbabwe Felicity immigrated to Australia in 1970 and now considers herself an Australian. She began writing stories in primary school, but did not consider this as a serious career path until, at the age of 40, she went back to school to write the Higher School Certificate and then on to university to do a BA Communications degree, majoring in creative writing. An MA in Children's Literature followed, kindling a passion to write and tell stories for children and teenagers.
Her first young adult novel, a teen romance, was written for 'Dolly Fiction' under the pseudonym 'Anne Holmes', but all her novels thereafter have been published under her own name, beginning with Ghost Boy. Set partly at Sydney's Quarantine Station, with a flashback to the grisly history of the past, there is now a special Ghost Boy tour at the Quarantine Station
for schools studying the novel. Her Shalott trilogy was inspired by the 'what if' questions arising from the poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred Lord Tennyson, as well as the legend of King Arthur
and his knights, and stories from the Mabinogian. In it, five Australian teenagers try to rewrite the legend and save the life of the 'Lady of Shalott', but instead find themselves rewriting their own lives and destiny.
Felicity is now writing The Janna Mysteries
, set in England in the 1140s at a time of civil war. In it, a young girl sets out to avenge her mother's death, solving crimes and mysteries along the way, including the mystery of her own birth and identity. There will be six novels in the series.
Felicity also writes crime and fantasy short stories, many of which have won awards and/or been published both in Australia and overseas. Felicity is married, with two children and four grandchildren.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
with an interest in crime, history and fantasy. Her novels Ghost Boy and the Shalott trilogy reflect her fascination with such possibilities as knowledge travelling through time, ghosts, parallel realities and reincarnation. Her new medieval crime series for older teenagers, The Janna Mysteries
The Janna Mysteries
The Janna Mysteries is a novel series by Felicity Pulman follow Janna and her quest to find her father in order to seek vengeance for the death of her mother...
, indulges her love of crime, history, plants and herbal healing. Her short stories for adults have won several awards. Many have also been published, as have Felicity's numerous articles on various topics including writing and the creative process. Felicity is a popular presenter at schools, conferences and writers festivals, where she talks about her work and/or gives workshops for students and budding authors.
Biography
Born in Fort Victoria, RhodesiaRhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
,now known as Masvingo, Zimbabwe Felicity immigrated to Australia in 1970 and now considers herself an Australian. She began writing stories in primary school, but did not consider this as a serious career path until, at the age of 40, she went back to school to write the Higher School Certificate and then on to university to do a BA Communications degree, majoring in creative writing. An MA in Children's Literature followed, kindling a passion to write and tell stories for children and teenagers.
Her first young adult novel, a teen romance, was written for 'Dolly Fiction' under the pseudonym 'Anne Holmes', but all her novels thereafter have been published under her own name, beginning with Ghost Boy. Set partly at Sydney's Quarantine Station, with a flashback to the grisly history of the past, there is now a special Ghost Boy tour at the Quarantine Station
North Head Quarantine Station
The North Head Quarantine Station is a series of heritage listed buildings on the north side of Sydney Harbour at North Head, near Manly, a suburb of Sydney in Australia...
for schools studying the novel. Her Shalott trilogy was inspired by the 'what if' questions arising from the poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred Lord Tennyson, as well as the legend of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and his knights, and stories from the Mabinogian. In it, five Australian teenagers try to rewrite the legend and save the life of the 'Lady of Shalott', but instead find themselves rewriting their own lives and destiny.
Felicity is now writing The Janna Mysteries
The Janna Mysteries
The Janna Mysteries is a novel series by Felicity Pulman follow Janna and her quest to find her father in order to seek vengeance for the death of her mother...
, set in England in the 1140s at a time of civil war. In it, a young girl sets out to avenge her mother's death, solving crimes and mysteries along the way, including the mystery of her own birth and identity. There will be six novels in the series.
Felicity also writes crime and fantasy short stories, many of which have won awards and/or been published both in Australia and overseas. Felicity is married, with two children and four grandchildren.
Books for teenagers and young adults
- The Shalott trilogy: Shalott, Return to Shalott and Shalott: The Final Journey
- The Janna MysteriesThe Janna MysteriesThe Janna Mysteries is a novel series by Felicity Pulman follow Janna and her quest to find her father in order to seek vengeance for the death of her mother...
: Book 1: Rosemary for Remembrance, 2: Rue for Repentance, 3: Lilies for Love and 4: Willows for Weeping published by Random House Australia. All books including the last two in the series, 5: Sage for Sanctuary and 6: Thyme for Trust' now on sale through amazon.com in paperback; e-books coming shortly. - Love and Other Magic (Book 2) and The Dark Side of Magic (Book 3) based on the popular TV series, Guinevere Jones.
- Three's a Crowd (Dolly fiction)
Books for primary school children
- Ghost Boy
- Wally the Water Dragon
- Surfing the Future
- Turning the Page
Awards
- Wooden Horse Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers (for a first publication)
- Partners in Crime 'Queen of Crime' award for 'Wild Garlic', 1999
- Society of Women Writers Book Award, Young Adult category for Shalott, 2001
- KSP award for short story, 'A Chinese Garden', 2003
- Helen Wilson award for short story, 'Babes and Sucklings'
- Dymphna Cusack award for short story, 'The Great Tsongololo Race'
- CBC Notable Book for Rosemary for Remembrance, Book 1 of The Janna Mysteries, 2006
- Premier's Reading Challenge, Victoria, NSW and South Australia
- Society of Women Writers Book Award, Young Adult category for Lilies for Love, 2007