Deborah Harkness
| Deborah Harkness | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Scholar, novelist |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Mount Holyoke College, Northwestern University, University of California at Davis |
| Genre | Fantasy, historical fiction |
| Notable works |
A Discovery of Witches Shadow of Night The Book of Life |
| Website | |
|
www | |
Deborah Harkness (born 1965) is an American scholar, novelist and wine enthusiast, best known as a historian and the author of the "All Souls" Trilogy which begins with The New York Times best selling novel A Discovery of Witches and includes its sequels Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.
Early life
Born in 1965, Harkness grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of an American-born father and a British-born mother.[1] She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College (B.A., 1986), Northwestern University (M.A., 1990), and the University of California, Davis (Ph.D., 1994).[2] Harkness also studied abroad at Oxford University. She is a well-regarded historian of science and medicine,[3] as well as having studied alchemy, magic and the occult.
Career
Harkness is a professor of history and teaches European history and the history of science[4] at the University of Southern California.[5] She has published two works of historical non-fiction, John Dee's Conversations with Angels: Cabala, Alchemy and the End of Nature (1999) and The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution (2007).[5]
In 2011, Harkness published her first work of fiction, A Discovery of Witches. The first novel in the All Souls trilogy, A Discovery of Witches is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of a modern-day witch who inadvertently calls up an ancient enchanted manuscript at Oxford University's Bodleian Library[6] thereby attracting the unwelcome notice of a host of magical creatures who live among humans, including other witches, daemons, and a 1,500-year-old French vampire.[5] The novel debuted at number two on The New York Times Best Seller hardcover fiction list,[7] and has been sold in at least 34 countries.[8] The book was called "a sophisticated fairy tale for adults" by the San Antonio Express-News.[9] The second novel in the series, Shadow of Night, was published a year later, becoming a number one success on The New York Times Best Seller list.[10] The third novel in the series is called The Book of Life.[11] The book was published on July 15, 2014 in hardback, e-book, and audiobook in the US, UK, Canada, and Ireland.
On January 9, 2014, the United States front cover and a two page excerpt were released to the public on USA Today. On May 12, 2014, chapter 1 was released on Harkness' website.[12] Harkness is also the author of the award-winning wine blog, Good Wine Under $20.
Personal life
Harkness currently lives in Southern California where she teaches.[1]
Bibliography
Novels
All Souls Trilogy
- A Discovery of Witches. New York: Viking. 2011. ISBN 9780670022410. OCLC 635459436.
- Shadow of Night. New York: Viking. 2012. ISBN 9780670023486. OCLC 760974138. (July 10, 2012 in the US and the UK)
- The Book of Life. New York: Viking. 2014. ISBN 9780525427223.
Books
- John Dee's Conversations with Angels: Cabala, Alchemy, and the End of Nature. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. 1999. ISBN 9780521622288. OCLC 39748178.
- The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. 2007. ISBN 9780300111965. OCLC 226002129.
Awards
Harkness' faculty profile on the University of Southern California's website lists the following honors and awards:[2]
- Highly Commended, Longman-History Today Awards Book Prize, Spring 2009
- Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Pfizer Award for Best Book in the History of Science, History of Science Society, Fall 2008
- Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, John Best Snow Prize for Best Book in British Studies, North American Conference on British Studies, Fall 2008
- Prize for Best Book, Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies, Spring 2008
- Huntington Library Research Fellowship Recipient, National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, 2006–2007
- Guggenheim Fellowship Recipient, John S. Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, 2004–2005
- Residency at the National Humanities Center, National Humanities Center, John E. Sawyer Fellow, 2004–2005
- NIH/NSF Career Development Award, National Science Foundation Senior Scholar's Award, 2001–2002
- Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Derek Price Award for Best Article, History of Science Society, 1998
- American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship Recipient, ACLS Fellowship, 1997–1998
- Huntington Library Research Fellowship Recipient, NEH Fellowship, Huntington Library, 1997–1998
- Recipient of National or International Prize in Discipline, Nelson Prize for Best Article, Renaissance Society of America, 1997
- Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, U.S. Department of Education, 1989–1993
- Fulbright Award, Fulbright Fellowship to the United Kingdom, 1991–1992
Notes
- 1 2 Timberg, Scott (April 10, 2011). "Deborah Harkness' 'A Discovery of Witches' started with airport bookstores". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- 1 2 "Faculty Profile: Deborah Elizabeth Harkness". Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ↑ Hernandez-Vogt, Persephone (February 24, 2011). "Discovery of a writer: alum pens a preternatural tale". The Mount Holyoke News. Archived from the original on February 24, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Deborah Harkness: The All Souls Trilogy." (February 10, 2014). <http://deborahharkness.com/about-deborah>
- 1 2 3 Gressitt, Kit-Bacon (February 20, 2011). "SoCal scholar bounds into the supernatural". North County Times. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ↑ McGee, Celia (February 2011). "15 Books to Watch for in February 2011". Book Finder. Oprah.com. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Best Sellers". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. February 27, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
- ↑ Pellegrino, Nicky (April 11, 2011). "Deborah Harkness: Once bitten ...". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ↑ Bennett, Steve (February 12, 2011). "A potent spell cast". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Best Sellers – Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. July 29, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151901724991812&set=a.222659011811.136793.163048101811&type=1&theater
- ↑ http://deborahharkness.com
External links
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