Pamela Freeman

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Pamela Freeman
Born April 1960
Sydney, Australia
Occupation Writer
Genres Fantasy, Children's Literature
www.pamelafreemanbooks.com

Pamela Freeman is an Australian author of books for both adults and children. Most of her work is fantasy but she has also written mystery stories, science fiction, family dramas and non-fiction. Her first adult series, the Castings Trilogy (Blood Ties, Deep Water and Full Circle) is published globally by Orbit books. She is best known in Australia for the junior novel Victor’s Quest and an associated series, the Floramonde books, and for The Black Dress: Mary MacKillop’s Early Years, which won the NSW Premier’s History Prize in 2006.

Biography

Freeman was born in Sydney, Australia and grew up near Parramatta. She attended the University of Technology, Sydney from 1978–1980 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, majoring in film and television and psychology. After working in public relations in the petroleum exploration and engineering fields, she left Australia for London and spent some time there working in a variety of jobs, including a stint as a clerk for the scenery construction department of the BBC. She returned to Australia in 1984 and worked as a scriptwriter for the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, moving from there to ABC TV’s Children’s and Education Department in 1987. She was researcher and scriptwriter on a number of the department’s programs and first wrote prose stories for children for the series Watch! Your Language. Her first children’s stories were published in the NSW School Magazine and one of these became the last chapter of her first book, The Willow Tree’s Daughter.

After leaving the ABC in late 1989, Freeman began work as a consultant in organisational communications, educational designer and trainer. She also completed a Masters degree in writing at the University of Technology, Sydney in 1996. Freeman developed a speciality in the area of corruption prevention in law enforcement, particularly the support of 'internal witnesses' (people who come forward to report misconduct or corruption). She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1998 to study this issue in North America.

After the birth of her son in 2001, Freeman concentrated on writing and took the opportunity to complete a doctorate in creative arts at UTS. Debra Adelaide, author of The Household Guide to Dying, was her supervisor. Her thesis, Blood Ties, was her first book for adults, and is Book 1 in the Castings Trilogy, published globally by Orbit Books.

Freeman lives in Sydney with her husband and son.

Awards and nominations

  • 1994 - The Willow Tree's Daughter : Shortlisted for the NSW State Literary Awards
  • 1997 - Victor's Quest : Shortlisted for Children’s Book Council Book of the Year for Younger Readers [1]
  • 2001 - Pole to Pole : Shortlisted for the Children’s Books Council Book of the Year Eve Pownall Award [2]
  • 2004 - Scum of the Earth : Winner of the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature [3]
  • 2006 - The Black Dress : NSW Premier’s History Prize [4]

Bibliography

Adults

  • 2007 Blood Ties, Book 1 of the Castings Trilogy, Orbit Books, 2007, Sydney, 2008, London, New York.
  • 2008 Deep Water, Book 2 of the Castings Trilogy, Orbit Books, 2008, Sydney London, New York.
  • 2009 Full Circle, Book 3 of the Castings Trilogy, Orbit Books, 2009, Sydney London, New York.

Young adult

  • 2005 Chronicles of Quentaris: The Murderers' Apprentice, Lothian Books, Melbourne.
  • 2006 The Black Dress, Black Dog Books, Melbourne.

The Floramonde books

  • 1994 The Willow Tree's Daughter, Little Ark Books, Allen & Unwin, Melbourne.
  • 1995 Windrider, Little Ark Books, Allen & Unwin, Melbourne.
  • 1996 Victor's Quest, illustrated by Kim Gamble, Omnibus Books, Adelaide; re-released by Walker Books, Australia and UK, 2008
  • 1998 The Centre of Magic, Allen & Unwin, Melbourne
  • 2008 Victor's Challenge, Walker Books, Australia and UK

The Network mysteries

  • 2003 Hair of the Skeleton, Koala Books, Sydney.
  • 2003 Scum of the Earth, Koala Books, Sydney.
  • 2003 Trick of the Light, Koala Books, Sydney.

Standalone children's books

  • 1997 Nanna, illustrated by Greg Somers, Koala Books, Sydney.
  • 2001 Make Me the Flowergirl!, Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia, Adelaide. Reprinted 2007, 2008.
  • 2002 The Wonder Dog, Koala Books, Sydney.
  • 2003 Shipborn, Koala Books, Sydney.

Picture books

  • 2000 Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear, illustrated by Beth Norling, Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia, Adelaide.

Non-fiction

  • 1995 All for Love!, one of the True Stories series, Little Ark Books, Allen & Unwin, Melbourne
  • 2000 Pole to Pole, illustrated by Philip Blythe, Koala Books, Sydney.
  • 2006 Fire to Life, illustrated by Philip Blythe, Koala Books, Sydney.

References

  1. ↑ Children's Book Council Awards website
  2. ↑ Children's Book Council Awards website
  3. ↑ Wilderness Society website
  4. ↑ NSW Premier's History Award website

External links

Authority control
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