Tamora Pierce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce at a science fiction convention in 2008
Born	(1954-12-13) December 13, 1954 (age 70) South Connellsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Genre	Children's and young adult fantasy
Notable works	The Song of the Lioness
Notable awards	Margaret A. Edwards Award 2013

Tamora Pierce (born December 13, 1954) is an American writer. She writes exciting fantasy fiction books for teenagers. Her stories are famous for featuring strong young heroines. She became well-known with her first book series, The Song of the Lioness (1983–1988). This series follows a character named Alanna as she trains to become a knight.

In 2013, Pierce won the Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award is given to writers who have made a big and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Her book series Song of the Lioness and Protector of the Small (1999–2002) were specially mentioned. Her books have been translated into twenty different languages.

Early Life and Learning

Tamora Pierce was born in South Connellsville, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 1954. Her mother wanted to name her "Tamara," but a nurse misspelled it as "Tamora" on her birth certificate. She has two younger sisters, Kimberly and Melanie. Kimberly later inspired the character Alanna in her books.

Tamora started reading when she was very young. She began writing her own stories in the sixth grade. She became interested in fantasy and science fiction after reading J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. This made her want to write similar kinds of books. She moved several times with her family while growing up. She also studied at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Her Writing Career

While at the University of Pennsylvania, Tamora Pierce wrote the books that became The Song of the Lioness series. The first book, Alanna: The First Adventure, was published in 1983.

She used to live in New York City with her husband and their pets. Later, they moved to Syracuse, New York. In 2008, she gave her collection of writings and notes to Northern Illinois University. This collection helps people study her work.

How She Writes

Tamora Pierce often gets ideas from things she finds by chance. For example, her idea of magic as a tapestry (like a woven cloth) came from her experience with crocheting. She also says that all the mages (magic users) in her world are based on the British naturalist David Attenborough. She watched his nature documentaries for inspiration.

Her early fantasy worlds were based on fantasy novels and old stories like Arthurian legend. Later, she added ideas from real-world issues, like youth crime. Pierce believes that listening to your own interests is the best way to get new ideas.

She also uses people and animals around her for characters. The character Alanna is loosely based on her sister. The look of another character, Thayet, came from one of Pierce's friends. Even the pigeon friends in her Provost's Dog series are based on real pigeons she knew!

Tamora Pierce first started writing to deal with difficult times in her life. She wrote stories based on her favorite books, practicing her writing skills. She decided to write about strong female characters because she noticed there weren't many in the books she read when she was young.

Awards and Special Mentions

Tamora Pierce has won several awards for her books. She has also been nominated for many others.

Books on Special Lists

Her books have also appeared on many important "best of" lists.

Merchandise

Fans can find official merchandise based on Tamora Pierce's books. In 2018, the first line of items like pins and clothes was created. This collection grew in 2020 to include a map of Tortall, the world where many of her stories take place.

In late 2023, a new collection was announced. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of her first book, Alanna: The First Adventure.