Deborah Harkness | |
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Born | 1965 (age 57–58) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Occupation | Scholar, novelist |
Nationality | American |
Education | Mount Holyoke College (BA) Northwestern University (MA) University of California, Davis (PhD) |
Genre | Fantasy, historical fiction |
Notable works | A Discovery of Witches Shadow of Night The Book of Life Time's Convert |
Website | |
www |
External audio | |
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"Science and the Supernatural in the 17th Century", Deborah Harkness & Jim Voelkel, Science History Institute |
Deborah Harkness (born 1965) is an American scholar and novelist, best known as a historian and as the author of the All Souls Trilogy, which consists of The New York Times best-selling novel A Discovery of Witches and its sequels Shadow of Night and The Book of Life . Her latest book is Time's Convert: A Novel, both an origin story of the trilogy's Marcus Whitmore character, set in the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, and a sequel to the All Souls Trilogy.
Born in 1965, Harkness grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of an American-born father and a British-born mother. [1] She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College (B.A., 1986), Northwestern University (M.A., 1990), and the University of California, Davis (Ph.D., 1994). [2] Harkness also studied abroad at Oxford University. She is a well-regarded historian of science and medicine, [3] as well as having taught courses about the history of magic and science. [4]
Harkness is a professor of history and teaches European history and the history of science [5] at the University of Southern California. [6] She has published two works of historical non-fiction, John Dee's Conversations with Angels: Cabala, Alchemy and the End of Nature (1999) and The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution (2007). [6]
In 2011, Harkness published her first work of fiction, A Discovery of Witches . The first novel in the All Souls trilogy, A Discovery of Witches is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of a modern-day witch who inadvertently calls up an ancient enchanted manuscript at Oxford University's Bodleian Library [7] thereby attracting the unwelcome notice of a host of magical creatures who live among humans, including other witches, daemons, and a 1,500-year-old French vampire. [8] [6] The novel debuted at number two on The New York Times Best Seller hardcover fiction list, [9] and has been sold in at least 34 countries. [10] The book was called "a sophisticated fairy tale for adults" by the San Antonio Express-News . [11] The second novel in the series, Shadow of Night , was published a year later, becoming a number one success on The New York Times Best Seller list. [12] The third novel in the series is called The Book of Life . [13] The book was published on July 15, 2014, in hardback, e-book, and audiobook in the US, UK, Canada, and Ireland.
On January 9, 2014, the United States front cover and a two-page excerpt were released to the public on USA Today. On May 12, 2014, chapter 1 was released on Harkness' website. [14] Harkness is also the author of the award-winning wine blog, Good Wine Under $20.
Harkness released a companion book in May 2018 entitled The World of All Souls: The Complete Guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy), followed in September 2018 by an All Souls series trilogy prequel/sequel entitled Time's Convert. The book features Marcus Whitmore, Matthew Clairmont's vampire son. [14]
Harkness is an executive producer of BadWolf's eight episode television series based on Harkness' novel, A Discovery of Witches. The series premiered in the UK on Sky One on September 14, 2018, and is now streaming on NOW TV. [15] The international distribution of the series is handled by Sky Vision. [16] [17] It was revealed by Sky One on All Souls Day (November 2) 2018 that the TV series would be extended by seasons 2 and 3, corresponding to the A Discovery of Witches sequels Shadow of Night and The Book of Life . [18] Season 2 (10 episodes) was released in early 2021, and season 3 ( 7 episodes) in early 2022. [19]
Harkness currently lives in Southern California where she is a professor of history. [1]
*Many of the events in Time's Convert take place in the present-day, however a portion of them take place prior to the events of A Discovery of Witches. In other words, Time's Convert acts as a sequel to the trilogy while also containing a prequel component.
Harkness' faculty profile on the University of Southern California's website also lists the following honors and awards: [2]
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A Discovery of Witches is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University, as she embraces her magical blood after finding a long-thought-lost manuscript and engages in a forbidden romance with a charming vampire, Matthew Clairmont.
Shadow of Night is a 2012 historical-fantasy novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness, the second book in the All Souls trilogy. As the sequel to the 2011 bestseller, A Discovery of Witches, it follows the story of Diana Bishop, a historian who comes from a long line of witches, and Matthew Clairmont, a long-lived vampire, as they unlock the secrets of an ancient manuscript. Diana and Matthew travel back in time to 16th century London during the Elizabethan era.
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The Book of Life is a 2014 fantasy novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness, the third book in the All Souls trilogy. As the sequel to the 2012 bestseller, Shadow of Night, it follows the final steps in the story of Diana Bishop, a historian who comes from a long line of witches, and Matthew Clairmont, a long-lived vampire, as they unlock the secrets of an ancient manuscript.
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