Trudi Canavan
Encyclopedia
Trudi Canavan is an Australian writer of fantasy
novel
s, best known for her best-selling fantasy trilogies The Black Magician trilogy
and Age of the Five
. While establishing her writing career she worked as a graphic designer
. She is now in the process of writing her third trilogy The Traitor Spy trilogy
, the final book in the trilogy, The Traitor Queen is to be released in 2012. After this Canavan will be writing a new trilogy on a completely new world called Millennium’s Rule and will consist of multiple worlds which characters can cross between.
, in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. From early in her childhood she was creative and interested in art, writing and music. After deciding to become a professional artist she completed an Advanced Certificate in Promotional Display at the Melbourne College of Decoration
, where she received an award for Highest Aggregate Mark in Art Subjects in 1988.
In 1995 Canavan started The Telltale Art, a freelance business specialising on graphical design services. In that same year she began working for Aurealis
, a magazine of Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction, working a do-it-all job as art and cover editor, reading manuscripts, creating web pages and stuffing envelopes. By taking on this job she was able to start writing in her spare time. Canavan states that until the age of 25 she dreamed of writing a novel but lacked the focus to do so. When she turned 25 she took several writing courses, worked on refining her fiction writing skills, while she fought her way through several rejections.
In 1999, Canavan's writing career took off when she won the Aurealis Award
for Best Fantasy Short Story with Whispers of the Mist Children
. In 2001, she further established herself with The Magicians' Guild
, centring around Sonea, a slum child who is hunted for her rogue magic. The novel, which was the first of three books of The Black Magician Trilogy
, brought her widespread acclaim, and the second book of the trilogy, The Novice
(2002), was nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. The third book, The High Lord
, was released in January 2003 and was nominated for the Best Novel Ditmar category. All three books entered Australian top ten SF best-seller lists. The trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan
as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years, and in 2006 had sold over 275,000 copies in all editions. The trilogy has been translated into German, Dutch, Italian, Polish and French.
Canavan's second trilogy, Age of the Five
, was also well received by her readers. The first in the series, Priestess of the White reached No.3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best-seller list, staying in the top ten for 6 weeks. In early 2006, Canavan signed a seven-figure contract with Orbit to write the prequel and sequel to The Black Magician Trilogy, due for release in February 2009.
Canavan is now in the process of writing her third trilogy, The Traitor Spy trilogy
, a sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy. The first book, The Ambassador's Mission
was published on 6 May 2010.
In contrast to other fantasy/science fiction authors, Canavan is also appreciative of fan fiction
.
Millennium’s Rule will be the next trilogy of books written by Canavan on a totally new universe.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, best known for her best-selling fantasy trilogies The Black Magician trilogy
The Black Magician (novel series)
The Black Magician trilogy is a fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. The books follow a slum-dwelling girl named Sonea who, although born and raised in the slums of Imardin, discovers that she has natural magical abilities usually restricted to the upper classes...
and Age of the Five
Age of the Five
Age of the Five is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Trudi Canavan, recounting the story of Auraya, a young priestess who rises to the highest rank in her world's religious hierarchy, only to find that there may be more to the Gods she worships than she was led to believe.-Plot Overview:Priestess of...
. While establishing her writing career she worked as a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
. She is now in the process of writing her third trilogy The Traitor Spy trilogy
The Traitor Spy (novel series)
The Traitor Spy trilogy is a projected fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. It will be set mainly in the fictional land of Kyralia. It is currently planned run to three novels....
, the final book in the trilogy, The Traitor Queen is to be released in 2012. After this Canavan will be writing a new trilogy on a completely new world called Millennium’s Rule and will consist of multiple worlds which characters can cross between.
Biography
Canavan was born in KewKew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. From early in her childhood she was creative and interested in art, writing and music. After deciding to become a professional artist she completed an Advanced Certificate in Promotional Display at the Melbourne College of Decoration
RMIT TAFE School of Design
The RMIT TAFE School of Design is an Australian vocational school within the College of Design and Social Context of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology , located in Melbourne, Victoria....
, where she received an award for Highest Aggregate Mark in Art Subjects in 1988.
In 1995 Canavan started The Telltale Art, a freelance business specialising on graphical design services. In that same year she began working for Aurealis
Aurealis
Aurealis is a Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications. The magazine was launched in September 1990 to provide a market for speculative fiction writers, with a particular emphasis on raising the profile of Australian authors.In 1995 the magazine instituted the...
, a magazine of Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction, working a do-it-all job as art and cover editor, reading manuscripts, creating web pages and stuffing envelopes. By taking on this job she was able to start writing in her spare time. Canavan states that until the age of 25 she dreamed of writing a novel but lacked the focus to do so. When she turned 25 she took several writing courses, worked on refining her fiction writing skills, while she fought her way through several rejections.
In 1999, Canavan's writing career took off when she won the Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for Best Fantasy Short Story with Whispers of the Mist Children
Whispers of the Mist Children
"Whispers of the Mist Children" is a 1999 fantasy short story by Trudi Canavan.-Background:"Whispers of the Mist Children" was first published in Australia in April 1999 in the twenty third edition of the Aurealis magazine by Chimaera Publications...
. In 2001, she further established herself with The Magicians' Guild
The Magicians' Guild
The Magicians' Guild is the first fantasy novel in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. Published in 2001, it is followed by The Novice and The High Lord . The book tells the story of Sonea, a young "dwell" from the slums, as she discovers her magical potential...
, centring around Sonea, a slum child who is hunted for her rogue magic. The novel, which was the first of three books of The Black Magician Trilogy
The Black Magician (novel series)
The Black Magician trilogy is a fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. The books follow a slum-dwelling girl named Sonea who, although born and raised in the slums of Imardin, discovers that she has natural magical abilities usually restricted to the upper classes...
, brought her widespread acclaim, and the second book of the trilogy, The Novice
The Novice
The Novice is the second book in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. It was published in 2002 and is the sequel to The Magicians' Guild and is followed by The High Lord...
(2002), was nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. The third book, The High Lord
The High Lord
The High Lord is the third book in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. Published in 2003, it is the sequel to The Novice and The Magicians' Guild and concludes the story of Sonea, a former slum-girl discovered to possess magical potential...
, was released in January 2003 and was nominated for the Best Novel Ditmar category. All three books entered Australian top ten SF best-seller lists. The trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan
Nielsen BookScan
Nielsen BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry, owned by the Nielsen Company. BookScan compiles point of sale data for book sales.-History:...
as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years, and in 2006 had sold over 275,000 copies in all editions. The trilogy has been translated into German, Dutch, Italian, Polish and French.
Canavan's second trilogy, Age of the Five
Age of the Five
Age of the Five is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Trudi Canavan, recounting the story of Auraya, a young priestess who rises to the highest rank in her world's religious hierarchy, only to find that there may be more to the Gods she worships than she was led to believe.-Plot Overview:Priestess of...
, was also well received by her readers. The first in the series, Priestess of the White reached No.3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best-seller list, staying in the top ten for 6 weeks. In early 2006, Canavan signed a seven-figure contract with Orbit to write the prequel and sequel to The Black Magician Trilogy, due for release in February 2009.
Canavan is now in the process of writing her third trilogy, The Traitor Spy trilogy
The Traitor Spy (novel series)
The Traitor Spy trilogy is a projected fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. It will be set mainly in the fictional land of Kyralia. It is currently planned run to three novels....
, a sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy. The first book, The Ambassador's Mission
The Ambassador's Mission
The Ambassador's Mission is a fantasy novel that was released on May 6, 2010 in hardback by author Trudi Canavan. It forms part of her Kyralia series and acts as a sequel to The Black Magician Trilogy and the first novel of The Traitor Spy Trilogy...
was published on 6 May 2010.
On writing
Canavan states that "the best way to improve your writing is to write. A lot." In the "FAQ" section of her web page, she says that she does not specifically base her characters on herself or anybody else in real life. Asked about her habit of inventing new names for staples of real-world life (e.g. "bol" for spirits, "ceryni" for rat), she explains that the animals that inhabit her world are not the same as those of ours, but are bound to be similar when filling the same ecological niches as real world animals.In contrast to other fantasy/science fiction authors, Canavan is also appreciative of fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
.
Awards
- Canavan's artwork in AurealisAurealisAurealis is a Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications. The magazine was launched in September 1990 to provide a market for speculative fiction writers, with a particular emphasis on raising the profile of Australian authors.In 1995 the magazine instituted the...
and Eidolon – Australian science fiction and fantasy magazines – was nominated for a Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
for "Best Professional Artwork" in 1996. - "Whispers of the Mist Children" won an Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for "Best Fantasy Short Story" of 1999. - The Novice was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award for "Best Fantasy Novel" of 2002.
- At the 2003 DitmarDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
s, Canavan won the "Best Short Story" award with "Room for Improvement", published in Foreign Shores; The High Lord was nominated for "Best Novel" and her cover for Fables & Reflections 5 was nominated for the "Best Professional Artwork" award. - The Magician’s Apprentice (AUS / UK / US) has won the 2010 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
Planned books
Canavan states on her web page that her current projects are one stand-alone book and one trilogy, also playing in the Kyralia kingdom. The first one The Magician’s Apprentice (stand-alone), a prequel to the Black Magician Trilogy, centring around a young magician called Tessia, who braves prejudices about female magicians and has to fight off the threat of the neighbouring kingdom of Sachaka. The second trilogy is called Traitor Spy Trilogy, a sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy, dealing with Lorkin, Sonea's son. The trilogies are stated to appear from 2008 on until app. 2010.Millennium’s Rule will be the next trilogy of books written by Canavan on a totally new universe.
Kyralia series
- The Black Magician TrilogyThe Black Magician (novel series)The Black Magician trilogy is a fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. The books follow a slum-dwelling girl named Sonea who, although born and raised in the slums of Imardin, discovers that she has natural magical abilities usually restricted to the upper classes...
- The Magicians' GuildThe Magicians' GuildThe Magicians' Guild is the first fantasy novel in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. Published in 2001, it is followed by The Novice and The High Lord . The book tells the story of Sonea, a young "dwell" from the slums, as she discovers her magical potential...
(2001) - The NoviceThe NoviceThe Novice is the second book in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. It was published in 2002 and is the sequel to The Magicians' Guild and is followed by The High Lord...
(2002) - The High LordThe High LordThe High Lord is the third book in The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan. Published in 2003, it is the sequel to The Novice and The Magicians' Guild and concludes the story of Sonea, a former slum-girl discovered to possess magical potential...
(2003) - The Magician's ApprenticeThe Magician's ApprenticeThe Magician's Apprentice is a fantasy novel by author Trudi Canavan. It was published in February 2009, and is a stand alone prequel telling a story occurring hundreds of years before her bestselling The Black Magician Trilogy. It tells the story of a war between Kyralia and Sachaka through the...
(2009) (prequel stand-alone novel to the Black Magician Trilogy) - The Traitor Spy TrilogyThe Traitor Spy (novel series)The Traitor Spy trilogy is a projected fantasy novel series by Australian author Trudi Canavan. It will be set mainly in the fictional land of Kyralia. It is currently planned run to three novels....
(sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy) - The Ambassador's MissionThe Ambassador's MissionThe Ambassador's Mission is a fantasy novel that was released on May 6, 2010 in hardback by author Trudi Canavan. It forms part of her Kyralia series and acts as a sequel to The Black Magician Trilogy and the first novel of The Traitor Spy Trilogy...
(May 2010) - The RogueThe Rogue (novel)The Rogue is a fantasy novel that has been released by author Trudi Canavan. It forms part of her Kyralia series and is the second novel of The Traitor Spy Trilogy. The Rogue returns to the themes of the Black Magician Series, and features Sonea and Lorkin .- Plot :The Rogue continues from the...
(May 2011) - The Traitor Queen (due 2012)
Ithania series
- The Age of the Five TrilogyAge of the FiveAge of the Five is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Trudi Canavan, recounting the story of Auraya, a young priestess who rises to the highest rank in her world's religious hierarchy, only to find that there may be more to the Gods she worships than she was led to believe.-Plot Overview:Priestess of...
- Priestess of the White (2005)
- Last of the Wilds (2006)
- Voice of the Gods (2006)
Millennium’s Rule
- Millennium’s Rule Trilogy
- Maker’s Magic (2014)
- Angel of Storms (TBA)
- Successor’s Son (TBA)
Short stories
- "Whispers of the Mist ChildrenWhispers of the Mist Children"Whispers of the Mist Children" is a 1999 fantasy short story by Trudi Canavan.-Background:"Whispers of the Mist Children" was first published in Australia in April 1999 in the twenty third edition of the Aurealis magazine by Chimaera Publications...
" (1999) in AurealisAurealisAurealis is a Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications. The magazine was launched in September 1990 to provide a market for speculative fiction writers, with a particular emphasis on raising the profile of Australian authors.In 1995 the magazine instituted the...
#23 (ed. Dirk Strasser , Stephen Higgins) - "Room for Improvement"
- "The Mad Apprentice"
External links
- Official website
- Bibliography at SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...
- Trudi Canavan biography, bibliography and interviews