Kelly Barnhill (born December 7, 1973) is an American author of

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

, fantasy, and science fiction. Her novel ''

The Girl Who Drank the Moon ''The Girl Who Drank the Moon'' is a 2016 children's book by Kelly Barnhill (author), Kelly Barnhill. The book focuses on Luna, who after being raised by a witch named Xan, must figure out how to handle the magic (supernatural), magical powers sh ...

'' was awarded the 2017

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' named '' When Women Were Dragons'' one of the best science fiction and fantasy books of 2022.

Writing career

Many of Barnhill’s stories sprout from what she has felt herself or seen. Barnhill was inspired by author

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

, famous for his novel ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 Dystopian fiction, dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. It presents a future American society where books have been outlawed and "firemen" Book burning, burn any that are found. The novel follows in the ...

'', and fairytales. Barnhill describes her younger self as “lonely” and “socially awkward” at the middle school she attended up until seventh grade. She never felt comfortable in her own skin and found herself in multiple bullying situations unable to stand up for herself in her self-conscious state. With the help of her mother, Barnhill was transferred to an all-girls Catholic school where she was taught by “go-getter” nuns. The feeling of insecurity led to her being bullied and to her transfer of schools which can be seen in her stories, like in '' When Women Were Dragons.'' In this particular novel, main character Alexandra “Alex” Green feels isolated from her classmates in her Catholic school because of her maturity and intelligence. At the new school, Alex finds herself exploring the idea of other sexualities, specifically with her interactions with her childhood friend, Sonja, who was torn away from her and later reconnected with her during a protest. Likewise, Barnhill learned about a powerful form of activism at her new school where the principal had walked hand-in-hand with

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

, saying that ‘It was the first time I had seen that kind of activism that was part of everybody's story.’ Witnessing such a moment is also seen in '' When Women Were Dragons'' when women are said to turn into dragons and actively fight for an equal place in society among men. This process of women “dragoning” affects everyone in the novel, sparking an effort for a change in gender roles. A specific scene featured in her novel ''

'' where a baby is being pried away from its mother was replicated after Barnhill herself worked in a battered women’s shelter. At this shelter, Barnhill witnessed a mother beg for help to cure her sick child after being denied medical treatment, going to show just how influential personal experiences are in the art of writing to convey messages and emotion. Barnhill has received writing fellowships from the

Jerome Foundation James Jerome Hill II (March 2, 1905 – November 21, 1972) was an American filmmaker and artist known for his award-winning documentary and experimental films, one of which won him an Academy Award. Career Hill was the child of railroad executiv ...

and the 'Minnesota State Arts Board' and was a 2015 'McKnight Writing Fellow in Children’s Literature.' She is the winner of the 'Parents Choice Gold Award,' the 'Texas Library Association Bluebonnet' award, and a 'Charlotte Huck Honor.' She also was a finalist for the

Minnesota Book Award The Minnesota Book Awards are presented annually for books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans. The award, originally established in 1988, is organized by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. History ...

, the

Andre Norton Award The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (formerly the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy) is an annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to the ...

, and the PEN/USA literary prize. In 2016, her novella ''The Unlicensed Magician'' received the

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

for Long Fiction. In 2017, her novel ''

'' was awarded the John Newbery Medal by the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

. Barnhill's books include ''The Unlicensed Magician'', ''The Witch's Boy'', ''Iron-Hearted Violet'', ''The Mostly True Story of Jack'', as well as several non-fiction titles for children. In February 2019 Kelly was the Literary Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the 37th annual Life, the Universe, & Everything professional science fiction and fantasy arts symposium.

Personal life

Barnhill is a graduate of South High School in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

and

St. Catherine University St. Catherine University (St. Kate's) is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was established as one of the first institutions of higher learning specifically for women in the Midwest and was known as the College of St. C ...

St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

. Her husband, Ted Barnhill, is an architect. They have three children. Before finding success as an author, Barnhill studied creative writing as an undergraduate, worked for the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, and was trained as a volunteer firefighter. She began writing short stories after the birth of her second child, and these stories were eventually expanded into full-length novels. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2021 she experienced a

traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...

as a result of falling down stairs, which significantly affected her ability to write.

Awards and honors

'' named ''When Women Were Dragons'' one of the best science fiction and fantasy books of 2022.

Publications

* ''The Mostly True Story of Jack'' (2011) * ''Iron Hearted Violet'', illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (2012) * ''Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch'' (2014) * ''The Witch's Boy'' (2014) * ''The Unlicensed Magician'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * ''Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories'' (2018) * '' The Ogress and the Orphans'' (2022) * '' When Women Were Dragons'' (2022) * ''The Crane Husband'' (2023)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnhill, Kelly 1973 births Writers from Minneapolis Living people Newbery Medal winners World Fantasy Award–winning writers 21st-century American novelists American young adult novelists American fantasy writers American science fiction writers American children's writers American women novelists South High School (Minnesota) alumni 21st-century American women writers Novelists from Minnesota American women children's writers American women writers of young adult literature American women science fiction and fantasy writers St. Catherine University alumni