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Edition 2 (2002) Winner
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Edition 6 (2006) Winner
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Edition 7 (2007) Winner
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Edition 10 (2010) Winner
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Edition 13 (2013) Readers' Choice
Kerry Isabelle Greenwood
ケリー・イザベル・グリーンウッド
Kerry Isabelle Greenwood
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1954-06-17 (Footscray, Victoria, Australia)
- Died
- 2025-03-26 age 70
- Nationality
- Australian
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Footscray, Melbourne → Inner West, Melbourne
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Locum solicitor
- Active Years
- 1989-2025
- Affiliations
- Victoria Legal Aid, Supreme Court of Victoria
- Influenced By
- Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers
- Nominations
- Ned Kelly Award (Best Novel) shortlisted (Heavenly Pleasures, 2005), Ned Kelly Award (Best Novel) shortlisted (Queen of the Flowers, 2005), Ned Kelly Award (Best Novel) nominated (Trick or Treat, 2008), Davitt Award nomination (The Wandering Icon, 2003), Davitt Award nomination (Murder in Montparnasse, 2003)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | Faculty of Arts | English | Bachelor of Arts (English) | — | Australia |
| University of Melbourne | Law School | Law | Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) | — | Australia |
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Aurealis Award | The Broken Wheel | Young Adult Division, Best Novel | Aurealis Awards | 共同受賞 |
| 2002 | Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year (CBCA) | A Different Sort of Real: The Diary of Charlotte McKenzie, Melbourne 1918–1919 | Book of the Year: Younger Readers (honour book) | Children's Book Council of Australia | 選出(honour book) |
| 2002 | Davitt Award | The Three-Pronged Dagger | Best Young Fiction Book | Sisters in Crime Australia (Davitt Awards) | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Davitt Award | The Wandering Icon | Best Young Fiction Book | Sisters in Crime Australia (Davitt Awards) | ノミネート |
| 2003 | Davitt Award | Murder in Montparnasse | Best Adult Novel | Sisters in Crime Australia (Davitt Awards) | ノミネート |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly Award | — | Lifetime Contribution | Australian Crime Writers Association | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Ned Kelly Award | Heavenly Pleasures | Best Novel | Australian Crime Writers Association | ショートリスト(最終候補) |
| 2005 | Ned Kelly Award | Queen of the Flowers | Best Novel | Australian Crime Writers Association | ショートリスト(最終候補) |
| 2006 | New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards (Patricia Wrightson Prize) | Journey to Eureka | Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books (shortlist) | New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards | ショートリスト(最終候補) |
| 2006 | Davitt Award | Heavenly Pleasures | Readers' Choice Award | Sisters in Crime Australia (Davitt Awards) | 共同受賞 |
| 2007 | Davitt Award | Devil's Food | Readers' Choice Award | Sisters in Crime Australia (Davitt Awards) | 共同受賞 |
| 2008 | Ned Kelly Award | Trick or Treat | Best Novel | Australian Crime Writers Association | ノミネート |
| 2013 | Sisters in Crime Lifetime Achievement Award (Australia) | — | Lifetime Achievement | Sisters in Crime Australia | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) | — | — | Australian Government (Australia Day Honours) | 受章 |
Awards & Nominations
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Edition 8 (2003) Winner
Works
Major Works
Cocaine Blues
1989 Historical mystery, crimeSet in 1920s Melbourne, this is the first Phryne Fisher mystery featuring the bold, independent detective Phryne Fisher. The novel blends social and gender issues with classic detective plotting.
- [Television series (adaptation)] Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012)
Flying Too High
1990 Historical mystery, crimeThe second Phryne Fisher novel, combining Australian historical background with contemporary perspectives in its mystery.
The Broken Wheel
1996 Young adult, speculative fictionA young adult novel and joint winner of the Aurealis Award (Young Adult division), dealing with socially conscious themes.
The Three-Pronged Dagger
2002 Young adult, mysteryA young adult mystery that won the 2002 Davitt Award (Best Young Fiction Book), focusing on character growth alongside the mystery's resolution.
A Different Sort of Real: The Diary of Charlotte McKenzie, Melbourne 1918-1919
2001 Children's, historical fictionA diary-format book set in post-WWI Melbourne; selected as an honour book by the CBCA for younger readers.
Murder in Williamstown
2022 Historical mystery, crimeA more recent Phryne Fisher novel combining Greenwood's hallmark historical detail and lively detective work.
Bibliography
- Cocaine Blues (1989)
- Flying Too High (1990)
- Murder on the Ballarat Train (1991)
- The Broken Wheel (1996)
- The Three-Pronged Dagger (2002)
- A Different Sort of Real (2001)
- Heavenly Pleasures (2005)
- Death in Daylesford (2020)
- Murder in Williamstown (2022)
Adaptations
- Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (television series, premiered 2012)
- Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (film, 2022)
- Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries (TV spin-off, 2019)
- Miss S (HBO Asia remake, 2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Witty, lively narrationPlotting influenced by Golden Age detective fictionDetailed depiction of historical settings
- Recurring Motifs
- Independent female detective figure (Phryne Fisher)Urban society and culture of the 1920sTension between law and justiceDomestic and culinary elements woven into plots
Legacy
Kerry Greenwood was an Australian author best known for the Phryne Fisher series set in the 1920s, which achieved international recognition through television and film adaptations. She wrote across genres—from children's and young adult fiction to historical mysteries—and received awards including the Ned Kelly Award, Davitt Awards and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020.
Archives
- National Library of Australia (related holdings)
In Popular Culture
- Through 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' (TV series), its film and spin-offs, 1920s fashion, music and the female detective archetype were popularized and re-evaluated.
Quotes
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I began writing books at sixteen, but remained unpublished for many years.
Source: Interview, The Sydney Morning Herald (2008) (2008)
Trivia
- The Phryne Fisher series was adapted into a television series that gained international popularity.
- She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020.
- Worked at a women's refuge while at university.
- Maintained legal practice as a locum solicitor for Victoria Legal Aid while pursuing a professional writing career.
- Her partner is mathematician and writer David Greagg, sometimes described as a 'wizard' by associates.