Juliet Marillier

Juliet Marillier (born 1948) is a New Zealand-born writer of historical fantasy, now based in Western Australia. Trained in languages and music at the University of Otago, she worked for years as a music teacher, choral conductor, and opera singer before her first novel was published. She is best known for the Sevenwaters series, beginning with Daughter of the Forest (1999), which draws on Celtic mythology and Irish history to follow generations of one family touched by magic and the Fair Folk. Her other major works include the Bridei Chronicles, set in early medieval Scotland, and the Shadowfell and Blackthorn & Grim series. Marillier's fiction is noted for its close attention to folklore, nature, and the emotional lives of women in historical settings. She has won six Aurealis Awards and four Sir Julius Vogel Awards, and received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2025.