Elizabeth Macneal
Lindsey Davis | |
|---|---|
Elizabeth Macneal holding "The Doll Factory" | |
| Born | 16 October 1988 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Occupation | novelist |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 2018– |
| Website | |
| elizabethmacneal | |
Elizabeth Sarah Macneal (born 16 October 1988) is a bestselling Scottish writer. She has had three novels published, 'The Doll Factory' (2019), 'Circus of Wonders' (2021) and 'The Burial Plot' (2024). Her work has been translated into 29 languages and adapted for TV.
Profile
Elizabeth was born in Edinburgh on 16 October 1988. She is the oldest of four children to Edinburgh architect Lorn Macneal[1] and his wife Catharine.
She studied English literature at Somerville College, Oxford. After graduating, she did further postgraduate study at the University of East Anglia as a Malcolm Bradbury Scholar, where she gained an MA.
She lives in South London with her cats, husband (Jonny) and children (Esme and Arthur).[2]
Works
Elizabeth is also a successful ceramicist. The Evening Standard named Macneal as 'one of five British ceramicists you should know about.' [3]
In 2019, Macneal’s first novel The Doll Factory was published by Picador in the United Kingdom and Atria Publishing Group in the United States, in addition to 29 international territories. The book explores the complex relationship between Iris Whittle and her artist-admirer, Louis Frost; and Silas Reed, a taxidermist and curio-collector. It is set in London at the time of the Great Exhibition, amidst the world of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The character of Iris is influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite model, Lizzie Siddal.[4][5]
The Doll Factory was an instant Sunday Times bestseller,[6] and was turned into The Doll Factory (TV series), a major series launching on Paramount+ in December 2023. [7]
Macneal’s second novel, Circus of Wonders, was published in 2021.[8] Set in the world of the Victorian freak show, it is a story of power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.[9] It was a Sunday Times bestseller, and was called ‘glittering’ by The Guardian [10] and ‘exhilarating’ by The Sunday Times.[11]
In June 2024, Picador published Macneal’s third novel, The Burial Plot. Described as ‘ingenious’ by The Sunday Times,[12] it is about murder, manipulation and the construction of a grand Victorian cemetery.[13]
Awards and Honours
- Caledonian Novel Award 2018 (pre-publication)
- The Times bestseller
- Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller
- Radio 2 Book Club pick
- Radio 4 Book at Bedtime
- Radio 4 Book of the Week
References
- ^ "Printed Wallpaper for Lorn Macneal Architects".
- ^ "The Doll Factory lands TV deal | the Bookseller".
- ^ "5 British Ceramicists You Should Know About | the Evening Standard".
- ^ Washington Post: 6 August 2019
- ^ Sunday Times: Book Review 28 April 2019
- ^ "The Doll Factory | Waterstones".
- ^ "The Doll Factory Review | the Guardian".
- ^ "Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal – Historia Magazine".
- ^ Guardian (newspaper) 28 April 2021
- ^ "The Best recent crime and thrillers roundup | the Guardian".
- ^ The Sunday Times (newspaper) 6 May 2023
- ^ "New Historical Fiction for June | the Sunday Times".
- ^ Scotsman (newspaper) 6 June 2024