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Malla Nunn

マラ・ナン

Malla Nunn

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1963-01-01 （Swaziland）
Nationality
Australian
Languages
English
Residence History
Swaziland (born) → Perth, Western Australia → Philadelphia (study) → Sydney (resident)

Career

Occupations
screenwriter, film director, author
Active Years
2008-

Education

University of Western Australia
English and History (double major)
Degree: B.A.
Country: Australia
Graduated with a double major in English and History
Villanova University
Theatre Studies
Degree: M.A.
Country: United States
Completed an M.A. in Theatre Studies

Awards

Davitt Award
2009
Work: A Beautiful Place to Die
Category: Best Adult Novel
Organization: Sisters in Crime Australia
Result: winner
Ned Kelly Awards
2011
Work: Let the Dead Lie
Category: Best Novel
Organization: Australian Crime Writers Association
Result: nominated
Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award (Highly Commended)
2011
Work: Let the Dead Lie
Organization: Crime Writers' Association
Result: highly commended
Davitt Award
2013
Work: Silent Valley (aka Blessed are the Dead)
Category: Best Adult Crime Novel
Organization: Sisters in Crime Australia
Result: shortlisted
Ned Kelly Awards
2013
Work: Silent Valley
Category: Best Fiction
Organization: Australian Crime Writers Association
Result: shortlisted
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
2013
Work: Blessed are the Dead (aka Silent Valley)
Category: Best Paperback Original
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: nominated
Ned Kelly Awards
2015
Work: Present Darkness
Category: Best Adult Crime Novel
Organization: Australian Crime Writers Association
Result: shortlisted
Davitt Award
2015
Work: Present Darkness
Category: Adult Fiction
Organization: Sisters in Crime Australia
Result: shortlisted
LA Times Book Prize
2019
Work: When the Ground Is Hard
Category: Young Adult
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: winner
Josette Frank Award (Bank Street Children's Book Committee)
2020
Work: When the Ground Is Hard
Category: Best Book of the Year (Outstanding Merit)
Organization: Bank Street Children's Book Committee
Result: winner
Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year: Older Readers
2020
Work: When the Ground Is Hard
Category: Older Readers
Organization: Children's Book Council of Australia
Result: shortlisted
Davitt Award
2020
Work: When the Ground Is Hard
Category: Best Young Adult crime novel
Organization: Sisters in Crime Australia
Result: shortlisted
Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year: Older Readers
2022
Work: Sugar Town Queens
Category: Older Readers
Organization: Children's Book Council of Australia
Result: shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

A Beautiful Place to Die

2008 Crime fiction (historical)

The first in the Emmanuel Cooper series set in early apartheid South Africa. A murder mystery that explores race and social tensions.

apartheidracejustice

Let the Dead Lie

2010 Crime fiction

The second Emmanuel Cooper novel. Past crimes intersect with present investigations, revealing historical wounds.

past vs presenthistorical legacy

Silent Valley (aka Blessed are the Dead)

2012 Crime fiction

The third Emmanuel Cooper book. Deals with unsettling events in a small community and themes of discrimination.

community tensiondiscrimination

Present Darkness

2014 Crime fiction

The fourth in the series, highlighting the darker aspects of society and violence.

societal violencehidden histories

When the Ground Is Hard

2019 Young Adult fiction

A young adult novel about a teenage protagonist facing hardship, exploring family and community relationships. Winner of YA awards.

coming-of-agefamilyresilience

Sugar Town Queens

2022 Young Adult fiction

A YA novel that deals with friendship, identity, and issues within a local community.

friendshipidentity

Bibliography

  • A Beautiful Place to Die (2008)
  • Let the Dead Lie (2010)
  • Silent Valley / Blessed are the Dead (2012)
  • Present Darkness (2014)
  • When the Ground Is Hard (2019)
  • Sugar Town Queens (2022)
  • Contributor: If I Tell You... I'll Have to Kill You (ed. Michael Robotham) (2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
socially aware crime fiction with historical settingsrealist prose
Recurring Motifs
apartheid and racial injusticecommunity divisionmorality and justice

Legacy

Malla Nunn is known for the Emmanuel Cooper series set in apartheid-era South Africa and has received acclaim for her recent young adult novels. She has multiple international award wins and nominations and is recognized for addressing social issues in her work.

Trivia

  • Born in 1963 in Swaziland and moved to Perth with her family in the 1970s.
  • Made short films including the documentary 'Servant of the Ancestors' (1998) which won awards at film festivals.
  • Known for both the Emmanuel Cooper crime series and award-winning young adult novels.