Lucy Hounsom

Hounsom grew up in the Thames Valley^[4] of Berkshire and attended Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead.^[5] Though she initially trained as an actress and dancer, Hounsom wrote stories from an early age, and named Alan Garner, Tolkien, Terry Pratchett and David Eddings as her influences.^[6] She went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London.^[7] She then pursued a Master of Arts (MA) under Andrew Motion.^[8]

Hounsom worked as a bookseller for Waterstones for twelve years before becoming a full-time author.^[3] Her debut novel Starborn was published by Tor after having been discovered by an intern on an agent's slush pile.^[6] It was followed by two further novels, Heartland and Firestorm, completing the Worldmaker Trilogy.

Under the pen name Lucy Holland, she went on in 2021 to write Sistersong, a novel loosely based on the child ballad Twa Sisters,^[9] which was followed in 2024 by Song of the Huntress.

In 2009, Hounsom moved to Sidmouth, Devon with her parents.^[4] Her younger sister, also a novelist, writes under the name Laura Madeleine.^[10]

Hounsom's writing covers themes such as gender roles,^[11] reimagining myths,^[12] and the different concepts of heroism,^[13] as well as "the search for identity, and our lost connection with nature."^[14]

Starborn was shortlisted in the 2016 Gemmell Awards for Best Fantasy Debut.^[7] The Independent listed it among the best fantasy debuts of 2015.^[15] Sistersong was a finalist for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award^[16] and the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2022.^[17] The AU Review describes it as: "authentic and well researched... the writing is as strong and beautiful as you could hope for, and the folkloric end result is fantastic."^[18]