Felicity Pulman
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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 a true-blue Aussie. She began writing stories in primary school, but didn't 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 Y/A 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.
The 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. 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.
Finding that her heart and her dreaming were still firmly locked into medieval time, Felicity is now writing The Janna Mysteries, set in England in the 1140s at a time of civil war. 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 indulges her love of crime and fantasy in her short stories, many of which have won awards and/or been published both in Australia and overseas.
Felicity is married, with two children and three grandchildren.
Published works
Books for teenagers and young adults
- The Shalott trilogy: Shalott, Return to Shalott and Shalott: The Final Journey
- The Janna Mysteries: Rosemary for Remembrance, Rue for Repentance, Lilies for Love. Willows for Weeping, Sage for Sanctuary and Book 6- Thyme for Trust are still to come.
- 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