Mardi McConnochie
Mardi McConnochie (born 2 February 1971) is an Australian author and playwright. She is the author of three novels, Coldwater (2001), The Snow Queen (2003), Fivestar (2005), several plays and two books for children, Melissa, Queen of Evil (2006) and Dangerous Games (2007).
Born in Armidale, New South Wales, McConnochie was raised in Adelaide, South Australia. She has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Sydney.
McConnochie's novels have grappled with questions about celebrity and the possibilities open to women and women artists. The first, Coldwater, transplants the Brontë sisters to a penal colony off the coast of New South Wales, using their plight to explore different approaches to art, life and love. It was shortlisted in the "Best First Book (SE Asia and Pacific Region)" category for the Commonwealth Writers Prize, and was named by The Washington Post as one of the Books of the Year. The second, The Snow Queen is set in Adelaide and tells the story of a former Russian ballerina stranded in post-war Australia. It saw McConnochie voted one of the Best Young Australian Novelists by The Sydney Morning Herald. The third, Fivestar focuses on contemporary notions of celebrity, charting the rise and fall of an antipodean girl group reminiscent of The Spice Girls. Melissa, Queen of Evil, her first novel for children, won the 2006 Aurealis Award for Best Children's Novel.
As well as novels, McConnochie has written for the stage and for television. Her television credits include Home and Away, Always Greener, McLeod's Daughters and Pacific Drive.
McConnochie lives in Sydney with her partner, the novelist, James Bradley.
Novels
- Coldwater (2001)
- The Snow Queen (2003)
- Fivestar (2005)
- The Voyagers (2011)
References
- Baum, Caroline: Under the covers, The Sydney Morning Herald, July 24, 2004.
- Selinger-Morris, Samantha: Every plot a drama, The Sydney Morning Herald, July 2, 2005.
- Griffin, Michelle: Free-floating stars, The Age, August 14, 2005.