Nicola Upson

Nicola Jane Upson (born 1970) is a British novelist, known for a series of crime novels featuring a fictional version of Josephine Tey as the heroine and detective.[1]

Biography

Upson was born in Suffolk, England in 1970, has a bachelor's degree in English from Downing College, Cambridge,[2] and lives in Cambridge.[1]

Work

Upson presents Tey as lesbian in her novels, and has said "It wasn't explicit, but there's no doubt in my mind ... I've got enough letters and interviews enough conversations with people who knew her well that make me certain that Josephine Tey was gay"; "writing their relationship and the things that have they have to consider and the way that gay women's voices to a large extent were silenced in the 1930s makes me realize how many things in my own life I take for granted".[3]

Upson has said that the theme of separation in Dear Little Corpses (2022), which involves the disappearance of evacuees in 1939, came partly from her parents' deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: "I lost them both, not from Covid but during the Covid period; my dad died and then 10 days later, my mum died too. So that was tough. And although they didn't die of Covid the enforced separation affected them so much, but also, you feel very cheated at the time you couldn't be together".[3]

Personal life

Upson's partner is the folk singer, novelist and radio presenter Mandy Morton.[4][5]

Novels

  • An Expert in Murder (2008)
  • Angel with Two Faces (2009)
  • Two for Sorrow (2010)
  • Fear in the Sunlight (2012)
  • The Death of Lucy Kyte (2013)
  • London Rain (2015)
  • Nine Lessons (2017)[6]
  • Stanley and Elsie (2019) – standalone novel
  • Sorry for the Dead (2019)
  • The Dead of Winter (2020)
  • Dear Little Corpses (2022)
  • Shot With Crimson (2023)[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Mark Smith (13 June 2015). "Nicola Upson's enduring love for Josephine Tey (From HeraldScotland)". HeraldScotland.com. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Nicola Upson | Authors | Faber & Faber". Faber.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  3. ^ a b Spencer, Alex (27 May 2022). "Nicola Upson interview: 'Family tragedy inspired my latest novel'". Cambridge Independent. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. ^ Upson, Nicola (17 March 2022). "Nicola Upson, author of Dear Little Corpses shares seven things she'd like her readers to know". Female First. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ Spencer, Alex (14 February 2020). "Mandy Morton interview: Purrfecting the mystery of The Ice Maid's Tail". Cambridge Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  6. ^ Goldsworthy, Kerryn (14 December 2017). "Nine Lessons review: Nicola Upson's stylish historical crime fiction". The Sydney Morning Herald. Pyrmont, New South Wales. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  7. ^ Upson, Nicola (7 November 2023). "SHOT WITH CRIMSON: Too much of a good thing. Less, please". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  8. ^ Harriet (24 January 2024). "Shot with Crimson by Nicola Upson". Shiny New Books. Retrieved 9 September 2024.


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