Felicity Pulman

Felicity Pulman (born 1945) is an Australian 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.

Biography

Born in Fort Victoria, Rhodesia,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. What if it's possible for five Australian teenagers to rewrite the legend and save the life of the 'Lady of Shalott'? What if they find themselves rewriting their own lives and destiny instead?

Felicity has also written The Janna Mysteries, set in England in the 1140s at a time of civil war. A medieval crime series for teenagers set in the 1140s during the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda, these novels have been likened to the beloved Brother Cadfael chronicles of Ellis Peters. In The Janna Mysteries, 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 are six novels in the series: Rosemary for Remembrance, Rue for Repentance, Lilies for Love, Willows for Weeping, Sage for Sanctury and Thyme for Trust. Her most recent publication is A Ring Through Time, a 'ghostly romance' set on Norfolk Island, with a flashback to the Second Penal Settlement there. All her novels are on sale through her publishers or on amazon.com in either paperback or e-book format.

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, and has two children and five grandchildren.

Bibliography

Books for teenagers and young adults

  A Ring Through Time (Harper Collins, Australia.)

• The Shalott trilogy: Shalott, Return to Shalott and Shalott: The Final Journey.
• The Janna Mysteries: 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 and in e-book formats and through Random House Australia..
• 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

Short fiction

• "Jungle juice". Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. 41: 46–51. 2009.

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

External links

• Felicity Pulman's' official homepage