Lancashire 50 authors

Abercrombie, Joe

Joe Abercrombie, born in Lancaster and educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, debuted his first novel The Blade Itself in 2006 and has since been writing Fantasy and Young Adult novels as well as pursuing work as a film editor. Abercrombie has won several awards for his writing, including the 2015 Locus Award for best young adult book.

Ashworth, Jenn

Jenn Ashworth, born in Preston, started her career as a librarian and has previously worked for Lancashire Libraries within the Prison Library Service. Ashworth then focused on freelance writing and had a particular enthusiasm for writing development, which saw the inception of the Lancashire Writing Hub. Her debut novel A Kind of Intimacy received critical acclaim and won her the Betty Trask Award from The Society of Authors in 2010.

Ashworth, Libby

Libby Ashworth, born and raised in Lancashire, writes novels based on the history of the county in which she has an enthusiasm for. She has direct ancestors from Whalley which can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages and uses her unique heritage to create much-loved stories of spinners and loom-weavers.

Baker, Jo

Jo Baker, born and raised in the village of Arkholme, Lancashire, currently resides in Lancaster and debuted her first novel Offcomer in 2002. Alongside writing novels, she has written short stories for BBC Radio 4 and reviews for The Guardian and The New York Times Book Review. Her work has awarded her a Visiting Fellowship at the Queen's University Belfast and landed her an Honorary Fellow title at Lancaster University.

Bolton, S.J

Sharon J. Bolton, born in Lancashire, aspired to pursue drama and dance before engaging in a writing career debuting with mystery fiction Sacrifice in 2008. Bolton has won several awards for her work, including the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA's Dagger in the Library award.

Broadway, Alice

Alice Broadway, who currently resides in Lancashire, wrote her debut novel Ink through the NaNoWriMo initiative which encourages a target of 50,000 words written within the month of November. Ink, the first in the Skin Books trilogy, has been shortlisted for several awards, including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Books Are My Bag Award.

Carrington, Leonora

Leonora Carrington, born in Clayton-Le-Woods, Lancashire, explored both writing and surrealist art with influences from both her birthplace and her time in Mexico City – where she founded the women's liberation movement. Her first published work The House of Fear in 1938 combined her love for surrealism with literature and kickstarted a successful career in writing amongst being renowned for her artwork and feminist activism.

Clarke, James

James Clarke, raised in the Rossendale Valley, studied English at Manchester Metropolitan University, and graduated with an MA in Creative Writing at The Manchester Writing School in 2017 before debuting his first novel The Litten Path which awarded him the 2019 Betty Trask Prize.

Conlon, Dom

Dom Conlon, who resides in Chorley, is a writer and poet who specialises in children's fiction exemplified with his Carnegie and Greenaway-nominated Wild Wanderers series. Dom frequently talks on BBC Radio Lancashire and does a lot of workshops for children to spark an enthusiasm for poetry and literature.

Connolly, Ray

Ray Connolly, born and raised in Lancashire, received education in both St. Helens West Park Catholic Grammar School and Ormskirk Grammar School and is well-known for his journalism writing. His work saw him interviewing many famous rock icons from the '60s and '70s including the Beatles and Elvis Presley – producing books such as Being Elvis.

Cook, David

David Cook, born in Preston, was an author, screenwriter and actor who became the first presenter for the TV show Rainbow. He left television presenting to focus on his writing career and debuted with Albert's Memorial in 1972 and went on to win critical acclaim with Walter, which bagged him the Hawthornden Prize in 1978. Cook sadly passed away in 2015 aged 74.

Cox, Josephine

Josephine Cox, born in Blackburn, started her career as a teacher before debuting her first novel Her Father's Sins in 1988. She was secretly entered to the Superwoman of Great Britain award by her family, and won, around the same time of her first publication and now has over forty books in her repertoire. Josephine sadly passed away in 2020 aged 82.

Crosby, Alan

Alan Crosby, a Council member of the Record Society of Lancashire and chair of the Lancashire Local History Federation, is a freelance local and regional historian, writer, editor and lecturer who writes with an interest in research and consultancy on the registration of manorial rights and mineral rights, for which he is the leading national specialist. To date, he has published over 30 books and numerous articles, and is the main local history contributor to the BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine.

Delaney, Joseph

Joseph Delaney, born in Preston, began his career as a teacher before exploring science fiction and fantasy writing under the pen name J. K. Haderack. He then moved onto children's fiction with his debut, under his own name, The Spook's Apprentice in 2004. The Spook's series of books now encompasses over 20 titles and was inspired by the folklore, history, and geography of Lancashire. Delaney sadly passed away in 2022 aged 77.

Donaldson-Ellison, Erica

Erica Donaldson-Ellison, born in Chorley, is a poet whose themes involve love, work, family, spirit, and travel. She does a lot of charity work as a wellbeing ambassador and mental health advocate and her work includes Searching for an Oasis published in 2021.

Dooley, Matthew

Matthew Dooley, raised in Ormskirk, has won the Observer Graphic Short Story Prize for his debut FLAKE, published by Cape in 2020. His book then went on to win the Wodehouse Bollinger Prize - the first time for a graphic novel – and was named a Guardian Book of the Year.

Durrant, Helen

Helen Durrant, who resides in the Pennine Hills between Lancashire and Yorkshire, sets her crime books within the countryside villages she loves. Her debut novel Dead Wrong was published in 2015 and kickstarted the Calladine and Bayliss series of novels.

Eclair, Jenny

Jenny Eclair, educated at Queen Mary school in Lytham St.Annes, is an English comedian, novelist, and actress who found fame through her work on Grumpy Old Women and Loose Women. She penned her stage name 'Eclair' after pretending to be French at a disco in Blackpool, and this name followed her into her successful career in various different arts. She debuted her writing with The Book of Bad Behaviour in 1994.

Gregson, J.M

James Michael Gregson, born and raised in Lancaster, began his career in teaching before turning to writing with his debut novel Murder at the Nineteenth in 1989. He has written a plethora of works on a large variety of topics from golfing to Shakespeare but is most well-known for his mystery and crime novels.

Guttridge, Peter

Peter Guttridge, born in Burnley, was educated at Burnley Grammar School, the University of Oxford and the University of Nottingham before becoming a writer and a critic. He has made vital contributions to UK Book festivals up and down the country, as a former Director of the Brighton Literature Festival and founder of Books by the Beach, a Scarborough book festival. His notable works include crime trilogy The City of Dreadful Night, The Last King of Brighton and The Thing Itself.

Hall, Sarah

Sarah Hall obtained a degree in English and Art History from Aberystwyth University before taking an MLitt in Creative Writing at the University of St Andrews. Her second novel, The Electric Michelangelo, was set in the seaside resorts of Morecambe Bay and Coney Island and was shortlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the 2005 Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Halls, Stacey

Stacey Halls, born and raised in Rossendale, was a frequent library user before embarking on a career in writing and journalism – graduating from University of Central Lancashire. Her writing takes inspiration from the local Pendle Witches, with notable titles such as The Familiars.

Hartley, A.J

Andrew James Hartley, born in Preston, lived and taught English in Japan for a short spell before moving to the United States and obtaining a Masters and Doctoral degree in English Literature from Boston University. His thriller novels reflect his interest in the history of culture and ideas - largely inspired by his time studying Egyptology at the University of Manchester.

Holdsworth, Ethel Carnie

Ethel Carnie Holdsworth, born in Oswaldtwistle and raised in Great Harwood, was a working-class British writer, feminist, and socialist activist who produced poetry, journalism and children's fiction. She began writing poetry whilst working in St. Lawrence Mill at age 13 and her first book of poems, Rhymes from the Factory, was published in 1907. She published at least 10 novels in her lifetime before passing away in 1962.

Howard, Audrey

Audrey Howard, born in Liverpool and raised in St.Annes, has had careers in hairdressing, modelling, shop assisting, cleaning and as a civil servant before embarking a career in writing whilst living in Australia in 1981. Her debut novel, The Skylark's Song, was published in 1984 before writing about Lancashire Mills with books The Mallow Years and Shining Threads. Audrey sadly passed away in 2016 aged 86.

Hurley, Andrew Michael

Andrew Michael Hurley, currently residing in Lancashire, debuted his first novel, The Loney, as a 300-copy limited-edition, before being republished and winning the Costa Best First Novel Award and Book of the Year at the British Book Industry Awards. He then went on to write 3 more novels with another releasing in November 2024.

Jacobs, Anna

Anna Jacobs, born in Rochdale and raised in Lancashire, emigrated to Australia after completing education in 1973. She has over 80 novels in her repertoire with a lot of these taking heavy influence from growing up in Lancashire – such as Lancashire Lass, Pride of Lancashire and Farewell to Lancashire.

Langmead, Oliver

Oliver Langmead, lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Lancaster, was the writer in residence at the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne and specialises in writing speculative fiction. His novel Glitterati was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award in 2023 and was named one of New Scientist’s best Science Fiction books of 2022.

Lightfoot, Freda

Freda Lightfoot, born in Oswaldtwistle, started out as a teacher whilst dabbling in small pieces of writing before opening a bookshop. Her love for literature and the countryside landscape she grew up in influenced her first full-length historical saga Luckpenny Land, which drew on memories of childhood and family as inspiration.

Lofthouse, Jessica

Jessica Lofthouse, born in Clitheroe and taught in Blackburn, began writing with a series of articles on the North of England in the Blackburn Times, illustrated by her own pen and ink sketches. She then self-published her first novel The Rediscovery of the North, a collection of articles detailing the countryside she loved to explore. After publishing over 20 books, Jessica sadly passed away in 1988 in her birthplace Clitheroe.

Lyon, Rachel

Rachel Lyon, based in St.Helens, is a copywriter and author of rhyming picture books which have featured in the Summer Reading Challenge and as a Bedtime Story on CBeebies. An official Patron of Reading, she visits schools, libraries, museums and other public events to spark an enthusiasm with reading and writing with young readers across the North West.

McFadyen, Ian

Ian McFadyen, born in Liverpool and raised in rural Lancashire, started his career in sales and marketing before pursuing life as an author. He began writing with Lancashire in mind, using it as a setting for many of his notable thrillers such as Blood on His Hands. He has had eight books published in the Carmichael series, with many of these books gaining popularity in libraries up and down the country.

Michael, Livi

Livi Michael, born in Stalybridge, worked as a university lecturer teaching creative writing, and ran reading groups about women's fiction, before debuting her first novel Under a Thin Moon in 1992. She then pursued a career in children’s fiction with her first younger book Frank and the Black Hamster of Narkiz in 2002. She uses her experiences with poverty and working-class women to influence her work.

Nadel, Barbara

Barbara Nadel, who spent a lot of her life living in Lancashire, trained as an actress before becoming a writer. She has previously done work for the National Schizophrenia Fellowship's Good Companion Service and as a mental health advocate and has also worked with sexually abused teenagers. She is most well-known for her novels set in Istanbul, reflecting her many years spent living in Turkey.

Newsham, Gail

Gail Newsham, born and raised in Preston, was a former footballer which extended her enthusiasm towards researching the Dick, Kerr Ladies football team and her first book on this subject, In A League of Their Own!, was published in 1994. In 2019, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Central Lancashire in recognition of her vital research.

Oldham, Nick

Nick Oldham, born in Belthorn, began his career has a police officer, spending most of his service in operational roles, before retiring in 2005. His first crime novel - influenced by his work - A Time for Justice debuted in 1996 and led to a 31-book series.

Palmer, Steve

Steve Palmer has had a tremendous contribution to the research and study of Blackpool, specifically with the introduction of the tramlines. His work covers the famous Blackpool trams in detail with a plethora of colourful photography of trams past and present.

Parker, Nathan

Nathan Parker, born and raised in Blackpool, is an independent author and spoken artist with a background in Youth Work. Having worked in the community, schools, colleges and hostels in Blackpool and the North-West for over 13 years, he aspires to inspire and encourage young people to engage with literature, writing and storytelling.

Russell, Willy

Willy Russell, born in Whiston, began life as a hairdresser before going back to college to qualify as a teacher. Whilst at college, he began writing drama and took a programme of three one-act plays to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where he was spotted by writer John McGrath – kickstarting his successful career as a playwright. He is well-known for plays such as Blood Brothers, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.

Sawley, Linda

Linda Sawley, who resides in Read, started a career a sister on the children's ward at Burnley General Hospital and later became a senior lecturer at University of Central Lancashire teaching children's nursing. Her book Pemberley in Waiting is a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and with each sale of her books she donates to two different charities – Petal and Derian House children’s hospice.

Schofield, Sarah

Sarah Schofield, a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University, runs writing courses and workshops in a variety of community settings and her work has won her critical acclaim with awards such as the Orange New Voices Prize, Writer’s Inc and The Calderdale Fiction Prize.

Sharp, Zoe

Zoe Sharp, raised on the North West coast, used to work as a photographer and freelance writer for motoring magazines before debuting her first crime novel, Killer Instinct, in 2001. This led her to be shortlisted for the prestigious Short Story Dagger and nominated for the Macavitty, Benjamin Franklin, and Edgar awards.

Thompson, Francis

Francis Thompson, born on Winckley Street, Preston, entered medical school on the request of his doctor father before leaving home aged 26 to pursue a career in writing and poetry. After succumbing to substance abuse and finding himself homeless on the streets of London, he was taken in by Wilfrid and Alice Meynell and was able to publish his first poetry book, Poems, in 1893. Francis sadly passed away of tuberculosis in 1907, aged 47.

Thornton, Margaret

Margaret Thornton, born and raised in Blackpool, began her life as a teacher with aspirations for writing. Influenced by her memories of dancing and growing up during the war, she began writing short stories before turning her hand to full-length novels with her debut, It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow, in 1992. Margaret sadly passed away in 2022.

Wainwright, Alfred

Alfred Wainwright, born in Blackburn, was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator who spent several years studying at night school, gaining qualifications in accountancy before pursuing his passion for documenting the English countryside through his writing and illustrating. Alfred sadly passed away in 1991 aged 84.

Waters, Vera

Vera Waters, residing in Chorley, has had many careers before pursuing writing including a senior position at a Preston based psychiatric hospital, advisor for Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary and was awarded a rare Home Office Research Grant. She also owns her own publishing company, Penn Cottage Books.

Winterson, Jeanette

Jeanette Winterson, raised in Accrington, is a writer, journalist and Professor at the University of Manchester whose first book Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was a semi-autobiographical novel influenced by her experiences with sexual identity. Her work explores gender polarities and sexual identity as well as the relations between humans and technology.

Woodfine, Katherine

Katherine Woodfine, born in Lancashire, began work as a bookseller in Lancaster Waterstones before managing a bookshop and gallery at the Cornerhouse, Manchester. She then worked for Arts Council England’s North West office, specialising in literature, before working for Booktrust where she project-managed the Children's Laureateship and worked on other children's book prizes. Her notable works include The Sinclair's Mysteries children’s fiction series.

Woodruff, William

William Woodruff, born in Blackburn, was a professor of world history and an author. His autobiographical novel The Road to Nab End describes his family's fight to survive the Lancashire cotton industry's downturn in 1920 and his experiences with the Great Depression. He volunteered for the army and served during the Second World War and used these experiences as the basis of his work Vessel of Sadness. William sadly passed away in 2008 aged 92.

Wotherspoon, Nick

Nick Wotherspoon, residing in Ribble Valley, works as a Business Intelligence Officer for Lancashire County Council and has been actively involved with vintage and classic vehicles for most of his life. Researching Bond for a final year dissertation at university, he owns and has written works on Bond cars.