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Julia Blackburn

Julia Blackburn’s books include an eclectic mix of fiction, poetry, memoir and, in particular, non-fiction in which the journeys to particular places are part of the story she is telling. Her ten works of non-fiction include The Three of Us: A Family Story, which was shortlisted for the JR Ackerly Award, and Thin Paths, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and the Ondaatje Prize. She has also written two novels: The Book of Colour and The Leper’s Companions, both of which were shortlisted for the Orange Prize. She is a member of the FRSL, the Society of Authors and PEN, has been a judge for the Ondaatje Prize, and has taught for various creative writing courses including Arvon and the Faber Academy. Her book, Threads: The Delicate Life of John Craske, won the 2017 New Angle Prize, a biennial award for books of literary merit set in or influenced by the region of East Anglia. Time Song, published in 2019, was shortlisted for both the Wainwright and the Hessell-Tiltman prizes. Her latest book, Dreaming the Karoo, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2022.