Starborn

Lucy Holland is the author of The Times bestselling Sistersong, a reimagining of the folk ballad ‘The Twa Sisters’, encompassing fantasy, historical fiction and transgender representation. The book was a finalist for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award and the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2022. Song of the Huntress, her second historical fantasy novel, is published in 2024. As Lucy Hounsom, she wrote the Worldmaker Trilogy. Her first book, Starborn, was shortlisted in the 2016 Gemmell Awards for Best Fantasy Debut. She worked twelve years in corporate account sales for Waterstones Booksellers before becoming a full-time author. Lucy co-hosts the intersectional feminist podcast ‘Breaking the Glass Slipper’, which combines her passion for elevating the voices of women and marginalised creators with a love of speculative fiction. The podcast won Best Audio in the 2019 British Fantasy Awards.

She holds a BA (Hons) in English & Creative Writing from the University of London and completed the MA in Creative Writing under Sir Andrew Motion in 2010. During her childhood, she worked as a professional actor on stage and screen, which provided a strong foundation in public speaking. Lucy has given talks, participated in panels and hosted workshops at various events and venues, including the Science Museum London, the British Library, MCM ComicCon, Barcelona Festival 42, Cymera Festival and Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, on topics ranging from myth, folklore and fantasy worldbuilding to public speaking for authors. She has given readings and discussed her work at the universities of Exeter, Bath Spa, and Royal Holloway.

Lucy lives in Devon with a black cat and a bedroom full of books. The landscape of the UK’s West Country is very much a part of her writing.