World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Frances Hardinge

フランセス・ハーディンジ

Furansesu Hadinge

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1973-01-01 （Brighton, East Sussex, England）
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Residence History
Brighton (birthplace) → Oxford (studied at Somerville College)

Career

Occupations
novelist, children's writer
Active Years
2001-
Memberships
Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
Influenced By

Education

Somerville College, University of Oxford
English
Country: United Kingdom

Awards

Branford Boase Award
2006
Work: Fly by Night
Organization: Branford Boase Award
Result: Won
Robert Holdstock Award (British Fantasy Award)
2015
Work: Cuckoo Song
Category: Robert Holdstock Award
Organization: British Fantasy Award
Result: Won
Costa Book Awards (Book of the Year)
2015
Work: The Lie Tree
Category: Book of the Year
Organization: Costa Coffee
Result: Won
Costa Book Award for Children's Book
2015
Work: The Lie Tree
Category: Children's Book
Organization: Costa Coffee
Result: Won
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Fiction)
2016
Work: The Lie Tree
Category: Fiction
Organization: The Horn Book
Result: Won
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
2018
Organization: Royal Society of Literature
Result: Elected
Kitschies (Red Tentacle)
2012
Work: A Face Like Glass
Category: Red Tentacle
Organization: The Kitschies
Result: Shortlisted
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
2011
Work: Twilight Robbery
Organization: The Guardian
Result: Shortlisted
Honkaku Mystery Award (Best Translated Honkaku Mystery of the Decade)
2021
Category: Translated Honkaku Mystery of the Decade (2010s)
Organization: Honkaku Mystery Award
Result: Shortlisted
Carnegie Medal
Work: The Lie Tree
Organization: Carnegie Medal
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Fly by Night

2005 Young adult fiction / Children's fantasy

A coming-of-age adventure in which a young protagonist becomes embroiled in conspiracy and secrets; notable for distinctive narration and worldbuilding.

coming-of-agepower and conspiracyidentity

Verdigris Deep (US title: Well Witched)

2007 Children's fantasy

A darkly whimsical tale about a girl with strange powers and her friends.

friendshipmagicsecrets

Gullstruck Island (US title: The Lost Conspiracy)

2009 Young adult / Dark fantasy

Set on an isolated island, it uncovers oppression and conspiracy within a closed society.

oppressioncommunitytruth

Twilight Robbery (US title: Fly Trap)

2011 Young adult / Fantasy

A sequel to Fly by Night, following the protagonist through further adventures and conflicts.

adventurefreedomgrowth

A Face Like Glass

2012 Fantasy / Dark fantasy

A strange, witty tale about a city devoid of facial expressions and the people who serve it.

social customsexpression and languagesecrets

Cuckoo Song

2014 Children's fantasy / Gothic

An unsettling tale of disappearance and replacement, with a gothic atmosphere.

identitydisappearancefamily

The Lie Tree

2015 Young adult / Historical mystery

Set in the Victorian era, a girl pursues a mystery entwined with truth and lies. Winner of the Costa Book of the Year.

lies and truthscience and belieffamily secrets

A Skinful of Shadows

2017 Children's / Young adult fantasy

A darker tale involving ghosts and possessions, incorporating elements of traditional ghost stories.

the living and the deadmemoryinheritance

Deeplight

2019 Young adult fantasy / Oceanic adventure

An adventure at sea where ancient technologies intersect with the ocean; themes of friendship and sacrifice.

friendshipexplorationsacrifice

Unraveller

2022 Young adult / Fantasy

A story of young people confronting rifts and calamities in their world, featuring a complex magic system.

destruction and renewalfatefriendship

Bibliography

  • Fly by Night (2005)
  • Verdigris Deep (2007) — US title: Well Witched
  • Gullstruck Island (2009) — US title: The Lost Conspiracy
  • Twilight Robbery (2011) — US title: Fly Trap
  • A Face Like Glass (2012)
  • Cuckoo Song (2014)
  • The Lie Tree (2015)
  • A Skinful of Shadows (2017)
  • Deeplight (2019)
  • Unraveller (2022)

Translations of Works

  • Verdigris Deep — US title: Well Witched
  • Gullstruck Island — US title: The Lost Conspiracy
  • Twilight Robbery — US title: Fly Trap

Style & Themes

Literary Style
rich, ornate proseinventive narrative voicesuse of gothic and Victorian elements
Recurring Motifs
lies and truthmemory and identitychild/young protagonist perspectiveold science and folk belief

Legacy

Frances Hardinge is regarded as an important contemporary British author of children's and young adult fantasy, notable for her intricate storytelling and distinctive settings. The Lie Tree's Costa Book of the Year win underscores her significance in modern UK children's literature.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)

Quotes

  • To be following in the footsteps of Philip Pullman is pretty amazing.
    Source: The Guardian (interview) (2016)

Trivia

  • She dreamed of being a writer from the age of four.
  • Often seen wearing a black hat and favouring old-fashioned clothing.
  • Studied English at Somerville College, Oxford.
  • Won a short story magazine competition before publishing her debut novel.