Queensland Premier's Literary Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (2017) Winner
Melissa Ashley
メリッサ・アシュリー
Merissa Ashurī
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1973 （Christchurch, New Zealand）
- Nationality
- Australia
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- New Zealand (birth to age 8) → Australia (from age 8)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist
- Active Years
- 1996-2023
- Affiliations
- Subverse: Queensland Poetry Festival (assistant director, 1999-2001)
- Nominations
- Davitt Award 2020 shortlist (The Bee and the Orange Tree)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Queensland | — | Creative Writing | PhD | 2000年代-2016年 | Australia |
| University of Queensland | — | Literature | M.Phil | 2000年代 | Australia |
University of Queensland
Creative Writing
Degree:
PhD
Period:
2000年代-2016年
Year of Graduation:
2016
Country:
Australia
The Birdman's Wife written as part of PhD
University of Queensland
Literature
Degree:
M.Phil
Period:
2000年代
Year of Graduation:
2009
Country:
Australia
The Maiden Without Hands as M.Phil thesis
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Queensland Literary Award for Fiction | The Birdman's Wife | Fiction | Queensland Literary Awards | Winner |
| 2017 | Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award | The Birdman's Wife | — | Australian Booksellers Association | Winner |
| 2022 | Queensland Writers Fellowship | — | — | Queensland Literary Awards | Recipient |
Queensland Literary Award for Fiction
2017
Work:
The Birdman's Wife
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Queensland Literary Awards
Result:
Winner
Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award
2017
Work:
The Birdman's Wife
Organization:
Australian Booksellers Association
Result:
Winner
Queensland Writers Fellowship
2022
Organization:
Queensland Literary Awards
Result:
Recipient
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Birdman's Wife
2016 Historical FictionHistorical novel about Elizabeth Gould, illustrator and wife of ornithologist John Gould.
Women's unrecognized talentOrnithology19th-century Britain
The Bee and the Orange Tree
2019 Historical FictionHistorical novel inspired by 18th-century French botanical illustrator Elisabeth Le Blanc.
Female scientistsBotanyEnlightenment era
The Naturalist of Amsterdam
2023 Historical FictionHistorical novel about a naturalist in Amsterdam.
Natural history17th-century Netherlands
Bibliography
- Desire In Difference (1996)
- The Hospital for Dolls (2003)
- The Maiden Without Hands: From Folktale and Fairy Tale to Contemporary Novel (2009, M.Phil thesis)
- The Birdman's Wife (2016)
- The Bee and the Orange Tree (2019)
- The Naturalist of Amsterdam (2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Historical fiction grounded in factFemale protagonists' perspectives
- Recurring Motifs
- Overlooked women in science and illustrationIntersection of natural science and art
Legacy
Known for historical novels focusing on women in natural history illustration, winner of Queensland Literary Award.
Trivia
- Self-confessed committed twitcher (birdwatcher).
- Has two children.