Maria McCann is an English

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while othe ...

Biography

McCann was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

in 1956 and worked as a lecturer in English at Strode College, Street, Somerset since 1985, until starting work with Arden. Her first novel, ''As Meat Loves Salt'', was released in 2001. The story focuses on the relationship of two men, Jacob Cullen and Christopher Ferris, and is set during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

. They desert their posts in

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

’s

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Thr ...

to establish a farming commune in the countryside. The novel was well received by critics including

Orange Prize The Women's Prize for Fiction (previously with sponsor names Orange Prize for Fiction (1996–2006 and 2009–12), Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007–08) and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (2014–2017)) is one of the United Kingdom's m ...

winner

Lionel Shriver Lionel Shriver (born Margaret Ann Shriver; May 18, 1957) is an American author and journalist who lives in the United Kingdom. Her novel '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2005. Early life and education Shriver ...

. McCann also contributed a short story titled ''Minimal'' to the anthology ''New Writing 12'' published by the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh la ...

in 2005. Her second novel, ''The Wilding'', was published in February 2010 . Set in England in the 1670s, it is the story of a young cider-presser, Jonathan Dymond, his dark family secrets, and the young beggar woman he tries to help. It was long-listed for the

. ''Ace, King, Knave'', her third novel, was published in 2013. It is set in London of the 1760s. It tells an interwoven tale of a recently married gentlewoman of some means, Sophia, her controlling but often absent and mysterious husband Mr Zedland, Titus the black slave he gives her as a wedding present, and Betsy-Ann an ex-prostitute. The dialogue makes extensive use of

Thieves' Cant Thieves' cant (also known as thieves' argot, rogues' cant, or peddler's French) is a cant, cryptolect, or argot which was formerly used by thieves, beggars, and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English ...

and a glossary is provided.

Bibliography

*''As Meat Loves Salt'',

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...

, 2001 *''Minimal'', in ''New Writing 12'',

, 2005 *''The Wilding'', Faber and Faber, 2010 *''Ace, King, Knave'', Faber and Faber, 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCann, Maria 1956 births Living people Novelists from Liverpool Alumni of the University of Glamorgan English women novelists English historical novelists 21st-century English women writers Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period