Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is an English-born children's author and playwright. Born in Potten End, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973. As well as eight plays, numerous short stories and articles, she has written over 30 books. Her award-winning and hugely popular 1986 debut Space Demons introduced the themes of growing up and fantasy worlds which emerge often in her other writings. Books such as At Ardilla, Foxspell and Galax-Arena all received critical acclaim and multiple awards. In 2001, Rubinstein published Across the Nightingale Floor, the first of the best-selling three-book series Tales of the Otori series under the pseudonym Lian Hearn. The series is set in a fictional island nation resembling feudal Japan and is her first work to reach an adult audience. The name 'Lian', comes from a childhood nickname and 'Hearn' apparently refers to herons which are a prominent theme in the series. It has also been suggested that the surname is most likely borrowed from Lafcadio Hearn; one of the first Western writers to tackle Japanese mythology. Gillian Rubinstein currently resides in Mullumbimby, New South Wales.

Works

Writing as Gillian Rubinstein

Writing as Lian Hearn

Tales of the Otori

Children of the Otori

The Tale of Shikanoko

The Tale of Shikanoko series is set in the Otori universe, several centuries prior to the Tales of the Otori.

Standalone novels

Writing as G.M. Hanson

Compilation edited by Gillian Rubinstein

Contributions

Awards