Deborah Lawrenson

After a childhood of constant moves around the world, Deborah Lawrenson read English at Trinity College, Cambridge, and trained as a journalist on the Kentish Times, then worked on several national newspapers and magazines.

She is the author of ten previous novels. Hot Gossip (1994), was a satire based on her experiences working on Nigel Dempster’s diary column in the Daily Mail, and was followed by a sequel, Idol Chatter (1995). The Moonbathers, a black comedy, followed in 1998.

Her fourth novel, The Art of Falling was a complete change of direction. It took five years to research and write and was eventually published with the help of Troubador in 2003. After it proved a success with booksellers Waterstones and Ottakar’s, the rights were sold to Random House and it was republished by Arrow in July 2005 and chosen as one of the books for the WHSmith Fresh Talent promotion that summer. It went on to sell more than all her previous books put together.

The Lantern (2011) was her first novel to appear in the USA, where it was published by HarperCollins to a fantastic critical reception; it was an Indie Next pick and a Costco Pennie’s Pick. In the UK it was chosen for The TV Book Club Summer Reads on Channel4 and More4 and shortlisted for the RNA’s 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year award. It has been translated into twelve languages.

It was followed by The Sea Garden (2014) and 300 Days of Sun (2016), which was selected as a Great Group Read for the Woman’s National Book Association National Reading Group Month in the USA.

Deborah divides her time between rural Kent and a crumbling hamlet in Provence, the atmospheric setting for the Penelope Kite mystery novels she co-authors as Serena Kent with her husband Robert Rees.