Biography

Anna Maxted is a bestselling author based in North London, England. Born in 1969, she is married to fellow author and journalist Phil Robinson and has two young children. She writes female contempory fiction which is viewed to be at the high end of the chick lit market. Anna Maxted read English Literature at Girton College, Cambridge, before becoming a journalist. She is former Assistant Editor of Cosmopolitan, and has freelanced for most national newspapers and magazines, including the Independent on Sunday, Daily Telegraph, The Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Saturday Times, Express, FHM, Esquire and Living Etc.

general

As well as being rich in humour, Anna's novels invariably deal with some of the deeper and more complicated issues facing women, such as grief, abandonment, rejection, motherhood, and sibling rivalry.

Her first novel Getting Over It, was semi autobiographical and based very much around her experience of the death of her own father.

Her latest novel is called A Tale of Two Sisters. Anna likes listening to Scott Walker and Kasabian and is always making social blunders, which she refers to as "bears".

Extended Bibliography

Getting Over It July 2000 Regan Books, USA/ Arrow, UK

Helen Bradshaw is a 26-year-old with a lot to get over. Being a dogsbody on a woman’s magazine. The embarrassment of driving a Toyota. But her biggest problem is her addiction to the kind of man a shrink would call ‘emotionally distant’ and others would call ‘a wanker’. She lives with Luke, her friend, Marcus, her enormously vain landlord, whom she secretly lusts after, and Fatboy, her very spoiled cat. Then Helen’s life is turned on its head. Her father has a heart attack and dies. Her mother goes to pieces and she’s forced to spend far more time than she wants with her grandmother. Her boyfriend confesses his infidelity, she sleeps with Marcus, and gets to know Fatboy’s vet, the lovely Tom. But before the path of love can run smooth, Helen has to learn what really matters in life.

Running In Heels Sept 2001 Regan Books, USA/ Arrow UK

Helen Bradshaw is a 26-year-old with a lot to get over. Being a dogsbody on a woman’s magazine. The embarrassment of driving a Toyota. But her biggest problem is her addiction to the kind of man a shrink would call ‘emotionally distant’ and others would call ‘a wanker’. She lives with Luke, her friend, Marcus, her enormously vain landlord, whom she secretly lusts after, and Fatboy, her very spoiled cat. Then Helen’s life is turned on its head. Her father has a heart attack and dies. Her mother goes to pieces and she’s forced to spend far more time than she wants with her grandmother. Her boyfriend confesses his infidelity, she sleeps with Marcus, and gets to know Fatboy’s vet, the lovely Tom. But before the path of love can run smooth, Helen has to learn what really matters in life.

Behaving Like Adults August 2003 Regan Books, USA/ Arrow, UK

Holly runs a dating agency. Up to now she’s had no need of her own services, but, convinced her relationship with her fiancé Nick has staled, she turfs him out to go in pursuit of hearts-and-flowers romance, true love and the soul-mate she is convinced must exist. To get back into practice, she accepts a date with the hugely eligible Stuart. Rich, arrogant and charming, he’s not her type at all -- he’s her guinea pig. But Stuart rather likes Holly and he’s used to getting his own way. Much to her dismay, Holly finds Stuart won’t take no for an answer and suddenly things don’t look so easy.

Being Commited June 2005Regan Books, USA/ Arrow UK

Hannah thinks you have to be absolutely nuts to want to get married. She’s quite content with her life thank you very much -- her job as a private investigator for Hound Dog investigations, Jason, her boyfriend of ten years standing, and her relationship with her wonderful dad (pity her mum is such a disaster). Besides which, she’s tried marriage once but she and Jack ended up divorced before she was 21: it was a bit much to ask a girl to stay faithful when she’s scarcely out of her teens and the world of full of wonderful men.

So when the long-suffering Jason proposes, Hannah doesn’t think twice about turning him down. But would she have said no if she’d known that only a month later Jason would be engaged to someone else? Is she really the emotional retard that Jason thinks she is? Maybe, just maybe, there’s something in his theory that being committed means first coming to terms with your past.

A Tale of Two Sisters July 2006 Publisher: Dutton, USA/ William Heinemann, UK

They were the best of friends, they were the worst of friends . . . Cassie and Lizbet are sisters. They are very different and believe they want different things in life. But just how different are they? Cassie’s discovery that she’s adopted has fuelled her desire to have a baby — the fact that she’s having marital problems is an inconvenience she’s choosing to ignore. When her sister Lizbet — indifferent to children at the best of times — falls pregnant by mistake, the sisters’ relationship is severely compromised. Lizbet, who doesn’t know Cassie is adopted, cannot understand why Cassie isn’t more pleased for her. Then, Lizbet miscarries and tries to come to terms with the trauma by concentrating on her career. She seems to be okay, but what is left is an overriding resentment towards her sister. And when temptation takes them both away from their homes it is not only their own relationship that is challenged. At war, little do they realize they have more in common than they think . . .

REVIEW QUOTES

Praise for Tale of Two Sisters:

"Anna Maxted applies her usual intelligent, witty approach, making you laugh and cry in equal measure." Heat (***** review)

"This is a hilarious funny tale which also manages to be wonderfully touching in places, too." Ok, Hot Stars

"Anna Maxted has always succeeded in writing thoughtfully on assorted knotty issues without ever losing her sense of humour" Daily Mail

"Get ready to giggle" More

"An engaging tale of sibling rivalry" First

Praise for Anna Maxted:

'Maxted writes beautifully' -- The Express

'Warm, poignant and very funny' -- Marian Keyes

'A brilliant debut' -- Cosmopolitan

'Maxted is a gifted comic writer' -- The Times