Ellie Marney

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Ellie Marney was born in Brisbane, and has lived in Indonesia,Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kid’s literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Her partner and four sons still love her, even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go. Ellie’s short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies.

Author's Comment: I was always the reading kid. And sometimes the writing kid. In Year 6 I wrote an elaborate fantasy novel about a princess and a race of elves and a crystal…yeah, obviously a little high on Tolkien and David Eddings at that point. In high school I used to read while walking – to class, and pretty much everywhere else – so I’m probably lucky I didn’t fall down a flight of stairs or something. That would have been an early and grisly end, after a promising start (but wow, the gossip mileage at school would have been *epic*).

Q. What themes are recurring in your work?

Death (hey, I’m a murder mystery writer!) and change, country life and people, family and the ties that bind, love and growth. Sharp-witted female protagonists feature strongly in my work.

Q. What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about encouraging adults to read some of the books their kids are reading, not only so they’re better informed and can help their kids discern, but also to give them an awareness of their kids’ worlds.

Nationality: Australian