Frances Hardinge (born 1973) is a British children's writer. Her debut novel, Fly by Night, won the 2006 Branford Boase Award and was listed as one of the School Library Journal Best Books. She has also been shortlisted for and received a number of other awards for both her novels as well as some of her short stories.

Early life and education

Hardinge was born in 1973 in Brighton, England, and dreamed of writing at the age of four. She studied English at Somerville College, Oxford and was the founder member of a writers' workshop there.

Career

Her writing career started after she won a short story magazine competition. Shortly after winning she wrote her debut novel, Fly by Night, in her spare time and showed it to Macmillan Publishers after pressure from a friend. It was published in 2005, and was listed as one of the School Library Journal Best Books and won the Branford Boase Award. Her 2015 novel The Lie Tree won the 2015 Costa Book Award Book of the Year, the only children's book to do so besides Philip Pullman's The Amber Spyglass in 2001.

Personal life

Hardinge is often seen wearing a black hat and enjoys dressing in old-fashioned clothing.

Awards and honours

Works

Novels

Short fiction

Hardinge has written several short stories published in magazines and anthologies.