Gillian Rubinstein facts for kids

Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is a talented author and playwright from England. She spent her childhood living in both England and Nigeria. In 1973, she moved to Australia, which became her home.

Gillian Rubinstein has written more than 30 books, along with many short stories and plays. Her first book, Space Demons, came out in 1986. It was very popular and won awards. This book often explored themes of growing up and exciting fantasy worlds. These ideas appear in many of her other stories too. Books like At Ardilla, Foxspell, and Galax-Arena were also highly praised and won several awards.

In 2001, Gillian Rubinstein started writing under a different name, Lian Hearn. She published Across the Nightingale Floor, which was the first book in her best-selling series, Tales of the Otori. This series is set in a fictional island country that looks a lot like ancient Japan. These books were her first ones written for an adult audience.

The name 'Lian' comes from a nickname she had as a child. The name 'Hearn' is said to be inspired by herons, which are important birds in the Tales of the Otori series. Some people also think the name 'Hearn' might come from Lafcadio Hearn, who was one of the first Western writers to explore Japanese myths.

Gillian Rubinstein lives in Mullumbimby, New South Wales, Australia.

What Has Gillian Rubinstein Written?

Gillian Rubinstein has written many different kinds of books for young people and adults. She has also written plays and short stories.

Books as Gillian Rubinstein

Here are some of the books she wrote under her own name:

• Space Demons (1987)
• Beyond the Labyrinth (1988)
• Skymaze (1989)
• Galax-Arena (1992)
• Foxspell (1994)
• Jake and Pete (1995), illustrated by Terry Denton
• The Giant's Tooth (1995), illustrated by Craig Smith
• The Mermaid of Bondi Beach (1999), illustrated by Anna Pignataro
• The Whale's Child (2002)

Books as Lian Hearn

Under the name Lian Hearn, Gillian Rubinstein wrote the famous Tales of the Otori series. This series takes readers to a world inspired by feudal Japan.

The Tales of the Otori Series

• Across the Nightingale Floor (2002)
• Grass for His Pillow (2003)
• Brilliance of the Moon (2004)
• The Harsh Cry of the Heron (2006)
• Heaven's Net is Wide (2007) – This book tells a story that happened before the main series.

Children of the Otori Series

• Orphan Warriors (2020)
• Sibling Assassins (2020)

The Tale of Shikanoko Series

This series is also set in the Otori universe, but it takes place many centuries before the Tales of the Otori.

• Emperor of the Eight Islands (2016)
• Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (2016)
• Lord of the Darkwood (2016)
• The Tengu's Game of Go (2016)

Other Novels

• The Storyteller and His Three Daughters (2013)
• Blossoms and Shadows (2014)

Books as G.M. Hanson

She also wrote a story called "See Nikko and Die" under the name G.M. Hanson.

Awards and Recognition

Gillian Rubinstein has won several awards for her writing:

• Children's Peace Literature Award in 1987
• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize) in 2004

See also

In Spanish: Gillian Rubinstein para niños