Ann Kelley
Ann Kelley (born 17 December 1941) is a
Biography
The Burying Beetle and The Bower Bird chronicle the story of Gussie, a 12-year-old girl who suffers from
Ann began writing poetry years after Nathan's death and published The Poetry Remedy in 1999 and then Paper Whites in 2001. Ann's first novel, The Burying Beetle, was published in 2005 by Luath Press Ltd and Because We Have Reached That Place (poetry) was published by Oversteps Books in 2006.[4]
Her work, The Bower Bird (also published by Luath) won the
Ann has said about her books:
'Gussie just came to me. I don't write for children, I write for a reader. It's a glimpse into the head of a child with a chronic disease, who has to find a way to live her short life to the full... Gussie isn't my son. She is an amalgamation of several people – my daughter, my grand daughter, my son and me – and she is mostly herself. My son knew that even with a successful transplant, in those days he would only have had a few more years. But he was so happy to have been given that chance. I think that is why I write about Gussie – to make people see the importance of being an organ donor. Please be an Organ Donor.'
Ann has won several prizes for her poetry and has run courses for aspiring poets from her home. She also conducts special study units in poetry writing for medical students and speaks about her work with patients at medical conferences. She is an honorary teaching fellow at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter and Plymouth. Her collected photographic works are Born and Bred (1988) and Sea Front (2005).
Ann Kelley also has a daughter, Caroline, and two grandchildren. She lives with her second husband in St Ives, Cornwall.
Works
Novels
- The Burying Beetle, 2005 ISBN 1-905222-08-4
- The Bower Bird, 2007 ISBN 1-906307-32-6
- Inchworm, 2008
- Koh Tabu, 2010[5]
- Lost Girls, 2012[6]
- Runners, 2013[7]
- Last Days in Eden, 2017[8]
Poetry
- The Poetry Remedy, 1999
- Paper Whites (poetry and photography), 2001
- Because We Have Reached That Place, 2006[9]
Photography
- Born and Bred, 1988
- Sea Front, 2005
- The Light at St. Ives, 2010[10]
Audio books
- Nine Lives: Cat Tales
See also
References
- ^ "(PastWinners.pdf)" (PDF). Costa Book Awards. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ Craig, Olga (6 January 2008). "'I gave Nathan the happy ending he yearned for' The death of her son inspired a grieving Ann Kelley to pick up a pen and start writing. After winning the Costa Children's Book Award, she talks exclusively to Olga Craig". The Sunday Telegraph. p. 21.
- ^ Vallesteros, Jean (January 2013). "Ann Kelley Author Interview". JeanBookNerd. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Craig, Olga (6 January 2008). "How Ann Kelley gave her son the happy ending he yearned for". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- OCLC 489631609.
- OCLC 1306065623.
- OCLC 872732869.
- OCLC 1102122191.
- OCLC 506195890.
- OCLC 606792588.