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Serena Mackesy (pen name, Alex Marwood; born c. 1960s) is a British novelist and journalist who lives in London.

Life and education

Serena Mackesy is the daughter of the Scots-born Oxford military historian Piers Mackesy. She is also the granddaughter on her mother's side of the novelist Margaret Kennedy and on her father's side of Leonora Mackesy (born 1902), who wrote Harlequin romances as Leonora Starr and Dorothy Rivers. She is the cousin of author and artist Charlie Mackesy. She grew up on the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire borders and went to school in Oxford, where she gained a University of London degree in English literature from Manchester College, Oxford.^[1]

Mackesy worked variously in offices, as an English teacher and on door-to-door sales before, as she told an interviewer in 2000: "I arrived at The Independent as a temp to cover for the secretary on the TV listings page... for a couple of weeks, realised I'd found somewhere I enjoyed and somehow never left.... I think the first writing I did was little potted movie previews on the weekend TV spread. The first thing anyone seemed to actually notice was a small daily bar review I used to write when the paper had a London supplement."^[2] By 1997 she was a regular columnist.^[3]

As a child, Serena Mackesy was a keen rider. She has described Malta as her favourite place in the world.^[1]

Novels

Mackesy established her reputation with the novel The Temp (1999).^[4] This went into the Sunday Times Top Ten on publication.^[5] Since then, she has published Virtue (2000),^[6] Simply Heaven (2002),^[7] and Hold My Hand (2008).^[8]

In 2012, she adopted the pseudonym "Alex Marwood" with the publication of the psychological thriller The Wicked Girls. This became a word-of-mouth bestseller in the UK, and was translated into 17 languages. It was included in Stephen King's Entertainment Weekly list of "The Ten Best Books I read this year" in 2013 and was shortlisted for an ITW award in the same year. The book won the Edgar Allan Poe Award (best paperback original) in 2014 and is also shortlisted for the Macavity Awards and Anthony Awards in the United States. A follow-up, The Killer Next Door, was published in 2014 followed, in 2016, by The Darkest Secret.^[9]

Work of Mackesy's has been translated into 19 languages. Writers she admires include Kurt Vonnegut, C. S. Lewis (Narnia series), John Donne and the "other" Elizabeth Taylor (Angel).^[1]

Awards and recognition

2013, shortlisted, ITW award
2014, winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award
shortlisted, Macavity Awards
shortlisted, Anthony Awards

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Author site: Retrieved 2 April 2011. Archived 27 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ Authortrek interview: Retrieved 2 April 2011. Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ The Independent website. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
^ London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8079-9. Bibliographical details from British Library Integrated Catalogue Retrieved 2 April 2011.
^ Publisher's website. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
^ London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8429-8.
^ London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8434-4.
^ London: Constable. ISBN 1-84529-639-7.
^ "Alex Marwood" website

[Author-1] Author site: Retrieved 2 April 2011. Archived 27 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine

[2] Authortrek interview: Retrieved 2 April 2011. Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine

[3] The Independent website. Retrieved 2 April 2011.

[4] London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8079-9. Bibliographical details from British Library Integrated Catalogue Retrieved 2 April 2011.

[5] Publisher's website. Retrieved 2 April 2011.

[6] London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8429-8.

[7] London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8434-4.

[8] London: Constable. ISBN 1-84529-639-7.

[9] "Alex Marwood" website

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[3]

[4]

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|British novelist and journalist}}
-{{citation style|date=November 2015}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-'''Serena Mackesy''' (born c. 1960s) is a British novelist and journalist who lives in London.
+'''Serena Mackesy''' ([[pen name]], '''Alex Marwood'''; born c. 1960s) is a British novelist and journalist who lives in [[London]].
 ==Life and education==
-Serena Mackesy is the daughter of the Scots-born [[Oxford University|Oxford]] military historian [[Piers Mackesy]]. She is also the granddaughter on her mother's side of the novelist [[Margaret Kennedy]] and on her father's side of Leonora Mackesy (born 1902), who wrote [[Harlequin Enterprises|Harlequin romances]] as Leonora Starr and Dorothy Rivers. She grew up on the [[Oxfordshire]]/[[Gloucestershire]] borders and went to school in [[Oxford]], where she gained a [[University of London]] degree in English literature from [[Harris Manchester College|Manchester College]], Oxford.<ref>Author site: [http://www.serenamackesy.com/about.htm Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref>
+Serena Mackesy is the daughter of the Scots-born [[Oxford University|Oxford]] military historian [[Piers Mackesy]]. She is also the granddaughter on her mother's side of the novelist [[Margaret Kennedy]] and on her father's side of Leonora Mackesy (born 1902), who wrote [[Harlequin Enterprises|Harlequin romances]] as Leonora Starr and Dorothy Rivers. She is the cousin of author and artist [[Charlie Mackesy]]. She grew up on the [[Oxfordshire]]/[[Gloucestershire]] borders and went to school in [[Oxford]], where she gained a [[University of London]] degree in English literature from [[Harris Manchester College|Manchester College]], Oxford.<ref name="Author">Author site: [http://www.serenamackesy.com/about.htm Retrieved 2 April 2011.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027020020/http://www.serenamackesy.com/about.htm |date=27 October 2011 }}</ref>
-Mackesy worked variously in offices, as an English teacher and on door-to-door sales before, as she told an interviewer in 2000: "I arrived at ''The Independent'' as a temp to cover for the secretary on the TV listings page... for a couple of weeks, realised I'd found somewhere I enjoyed and somehow never left.... I think the first writing I did was little potted movie previews on the weekend TV spread. The first thing anyone seemed to actually notice was a small daily bar review I used to write when the paper had a London supplement."<ref>Authortrek interview: [http://www.authortrek.com/serena_mackesy_interview.html Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref> By 1997 she was a regular columnist.<ref>The Independent website. [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/serena-mackesy-in-my-week-1259454.html Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref>
+Mackesy worked variously in offices, as an English teacher and on [[door-to-door]] sales before, as she told an interviewer in 2000: "I arrived at ''[[The Independent]]'' as a [[Temporary work|temp]] to cover for the secretary on the TV listings page... for a couple of weeks, realised I'd found somewhere I enjoyed and somehow never left.... I think the first writing I did was little potted movie previews on the weekend TV spread. The first thing anyone seemed to actually notice was a small daily bar review I used to write when the paper had a London supplement."<ref>Authortrek interview: [http://www.authortrek.com/serena_mackesy_interview.html Retrieved 2 April 2011.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514141405/http://www.authortrek.com/serena_mackesy_interview.html |date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> By 1997 she was a regular columnist.<ref>The Independent website. [https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/serena-mackesy-in-my-week-1259454.html Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref>
-As a child Serena Mackesy was a keen rider. She has described [[Malta]] as her favourite place in the world.<ref>Author site.</ref>
+As a child, Serena Mackesy was a keen rider. She has described [[Malta]] as her favourite place in the world.<ref name="Author" />
 ==Novels==
-Mackesy established her reputation with the novel ''The Temp'' (1999).<ref>London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8079-9. Bibliographical details from British Library Integrated Catalogue [http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/55VMPK2GYNJL7GTBNKMNRAAYBS7JLJN8G9VGCY8ILPASV1JYJC-34739?func=file&file_name=find-b Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref> This went into the ''Sunday Times'' Top Ten on publication.<ref>Publisher's website. [http://www.randomhouse.com/book/210947/hold-my-hand-by-serena-mackesy/9781569477090/?view=email_prep. Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref> Since then she has published ''Virtue'' (2000),<ref>London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8429-8.</ref> ''Simply Heaven'' (2002),<ref>London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-8434-4.</ref> and ''Hold My Hand'' (2008).<ref>London: Constable. ISBN 1-84529-639-7.</ref>
+Mackesy established her reputation with the novel ''The Temp'' (1999).<ref>London: Century. {{ISBN|0-7126-8079-9}}. Bibliographical details from British Library Integrated Catalogue [http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/55VMPK2GYNJL7GTBNKMNRAAYBS7JLJN8G9VGCY8ILPASV1JYJC-34739?func=file&file_name=find-b Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref> This went into the ''Sunday Times'' Top Ten on publication.<ref>Publisher's website. [http://www.randomhouse.com/book/210947/hold-my-hand-by-serena-mackesy/9781569477090/?view=email_prep. Retrieved 2 April 2011.]</ref> Since then, she has published ''Virtue'' (2000),<ref>London: Century. {{ISBN|0-7126-8429-8}}.</ref> ''Simply Heaven'' (2002),<ref>London: Century. {{ISBN|0-7126-8434-4}}.</ref> and ''Hold My Hand'' (2008).<ref>London: Constable. {{ISBN|1-84529-639-7}}.</ref>
-In 2012 she adopted the pseudonym Alex Marwood with the publication of the psychological thriller ''The Wicked Girls''. This became a word-of-mouth bestseller in the UK, and was translated into 17 languages. It was included in Stephen King's ''Entertainment Weekly'' list of "The Ten Best Books I read this year" in 2013 and was shortlisted for an ITW award in the same year. The book won the Edgar Allan Poe Award (best paperback original) in 2014 and is also shortlisted for the Macavity and Anthony awards in the United States. A follow-up, ''The Killer Next Door'', was published in 2014 to critical acclaim.{{Citation needed|date=November 2014}}
+In 2012, she adopted the [[pseudonym]] "Alex Marwood" with the publication of the psychological thriller ''[[The Wicked Girls]]''. This became a [[Word of mouth|word-of-mouth]] bestseller in the UK, and was translated into 17 languages. It was included in [[Stephen King]]'s ''Entertainment Weekly'' list of "The Ten Best Books I read this year" in 2013 and was shortlisted for an [[International Thriller Writers Awards|ITW award]] in the same year. The book won the [[Edgar Awards|Edgar Allan Poe Award]] (best paperback original) in 2014 and is also shortlisted for the [[Macavity Awards]] and [[Anthony Awards]] in the United States. A follow-up, ''The Killer Next Door'', was published in 2014 followed, in 2016, by ''The Darkest Secret''.<ref>[http://www.alexmarwood.com/ "Alex Marwood" website]</ref>
-Work of Mackesy's has been translated into 19 languages. Writers she admires include [[Kurt Vonnegut]], [[C. S. Lewis]] (Narnia series), [[John Donne]] and the "other" [[Elizabeth Taylor (novelist)|Elizabeth Taylor]] (''Angel'').<ref>Author site.</ref>
+Work of Mackesy's has been translated into 19 languages. Writers she admires include [[Kurt Vonnegut]], [[C. S. Lewis]] ([[The Chronicles of Narnia|''Narnia'' series]]), [[John Donne]] and the "other" [[Elizabeth Taylor (novelist)|Elizabeth Taylor]] (''Angel'').<ref name="Author" />
+==Awards and recognition==
+* 2013, shortlisted, [[International Thriller Writers Awards|ITW award]]
+* 2014, winner, [[Edgar Awards|Edgar Allan Poe Award]]
+* shortlisted, [[Macavity Awards]]
+* shortlisted, [[Anthony Awards]]
 ==References==
+{{Reflist|30em}}
-{{columns-list|2|
-{{Reflist}}
+{{authority control}}
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackesy, Serena}}
-[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]
-[[Category:People from Oxfordshire]]
-[[Category:English journalists]]
-[[Category:21st-century women writers]]
 [[Category:1960s births]]
 [[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]
+[[Category:Writers from Oxfordshire]]
+[[Category:English journalists]]
+[[Category:21st-century English women writers]]
 [[Category:Writers from London]]
 [[Category:English women novelists]]
+[[Category:English women non-fiction writers]]
+[[Category:21st-century pseudonymous writers]]
+[[Category:Pseudonymous women writers]]
+[[Category:The Independent people]]

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	United States Netherlands