Felicity Pulman facts for kids
Felicity Pulman (born in 1945) is an Australian author who loves writing about mysteries, history, and fantasy. She has written many exciting books, including Ghost Boy, the Shalott trilogy, and A Ring Through Time. She is also well-known for her medieval crime series for young adults, The Janna Mysteries. Besides writing novels, Felicity Pulman has also written articles about how to write and be creative. She often gives talks and presentations at schools, conferences, and writing festivals, sharing her passion for stories.
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About Felicity Pulman
Felicity Pulman was born in a place called Fort Victoria in Rhodesia (which is now Zimbabwe) in 1945. She moved to Australia in 1970 and now considers Australia her home. She started writing stories when she was in primary school, but she didn't think of it as a serious job until she was 40 years old. At that age, she went back to school to finish her high school certificate. After that, she went to university to study communications, focusing on creative writing. She then earned a master's degree in Children's Literature. This sparked her strong desire to write and tell stories especially for children and teenagers.
Her Books and Stories
Felicity Pulman's first book for young adults was a romance novel, which she wrote under the name 'Anne Holmes'. However, all her books after that have been published under her own name.
Ghost Boy and Other Tales
Her first book under her own name was Ghost Boy. This story is partly set at the North Head Quarantine Station in Sydney, Australia. It also includes flashbacks to the interesting and sometimes spooky history of the past. Because of the book's popularity, there's even a special Ghost Boy tour at the Quarantine Station for schools that are studying the novel. There was also a plan to make a movie based on the book!
The Shalott Trilogy
Felicity Pulman's Shalott trilogy was inspired by the famous poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It also draws ideas from the legends of King Arthur and his knights, and old Welsh stories called the Mabinogian. The author wondered: "What if five Australian teenagers could go back in time and change the legend to save the Lady of Shalott?" And then, "What if, by trying to change the legend, they end up changing their own lives and futures instead?" These questions led to the exciting Shalott trilogy.
The Janna Mysteries
Pulman also wrote The Janna Mysteries, which is now called The Janna Chronicles. This is a series of six medieval crime novels for teenagers. They are set in England in the 1140s, during a time of civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. These books have been compared to the popular Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. In The Janna Mysteries, a young girl tries to find out who caused her mother's death. Along the way, she solves many other crimes and mysteries, including the secret of her own birth and who she really is.
The six books in the original series are: Rosemary for Remembrance, Rue for Repentance, Lilies for Love, Willows for Weeping, Sage for Sanctuary, and Thyme for Trust. These books have also been rewritten for adult readers and published under new titles: Blood Oath, Stolen Child, Unholy Crime, Pilgrim of Death, Mysterious Brew, and Day of Judgment.
A Ring Through Time
Another of her novels is A Ring Through Time. This is a "ghostly romance" story that takes place on Norfolk Island. It includes flashbacks to the island's Second Penal Settlement, which was a tough prison colony. A Ring Through Time won an award from the Society of Women Writers and was also highly praised by Sisters in Crime Australia.
Non-Fiction and Short Stories
Felicity Pulman has also written non-fiction books, which are books based on facts. These include Wally the Water Dragon and The Little Penguins of Manly. The book about the Little Penguins teaches readers about this special group of penguins and how to help protect them. Her most recent novel is I, Morgana, which tells the story of one of the most mysterious characters from the King Arthur legends.
Pulman also writes short stories, especially crime and fantasy stories. Many of these have won awards and have been published in Australia and other countries.
Her Family Life
Felicity Pulman is married. She has two children and six grandchildren.
Awards and Recognition
Felicity Pulman has received many awards for her writing:
- Wooden Horse Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers (for her first published work)
- Partners in Crime 'Queen of Crime' award for her story 'Wild Garlic' in 1999
- Society of Women Writers Book Award, Young Adult category for Shalott in 2001
- KSP award for her short story, 'A Chinese Garden' in 2003
- Helen Wilson award for her short story, 'Babes and Sucklings'
- Dymphna Cusack award for her short story, 'The Great Tsongololo Race'
- CBCA Notable Book for Rosemary for Remembrance, which is the first book in The Janna Mysteries, in 2006
- Her books have been part of the Premier's Reading Challenge in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia
- Society of Women Writers Book Award, Young Adult category for Lilies for Love in 2007
- Society of Women Writers Book Award, Young Adult category for A Ring Through Time in 2013
- Highly Commended in the Davitt Awards (Sisters in Crime Australia) for A Ring Through Time in 2014
- She received the first Di Yerbury Writer's Fellowship from the Society of Women Writers in 2014.
