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Stef Penney was born and grew up in Edinburgh. After a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Bristol University she turned to film-making, studying Film and TV at Bournemouth College of Art. On graduation she was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme and has since written and directed two short films. She is the author of The Tenderness of Wolves and The Invisible Ones.
Author photo © Ian Phillips McLaren
Shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards 2017, Costa Novel Award Flora Mackie leads a remarkable life. Daughter of a whaling captain, with her mother dead, she spent many of her teenage years sailing with him and living with the Inuit of Greenland. When grown, it naturally suits her to join an Arctic expedition with a British scientific team. Jakob de Beyn’s obsession with ice and glaciers also leads him north with an American expedition. Though they meet only briefly, he and Flora live similar lives with many parallels and some extraordinary stories. Hardship and determination colour both to the point where it is the Arctic that feels like home and the civilised Victorian world that seems hostile, and it is those sections that I found the most thrilling. Stef Penney’s book is huge; in length, in distances crossed, in ideas, in drama. Her elegant prose is a joy to read. Stretching from 1883 to 1948, it is not a novel of one thing only; not a portrait of a time, not a love story, not a cultural exploration, not an adventure story but all these things together, making it, above all, an excellent read. ~ Sarah Broadhurst A Piece of Passion from the Jane Wood, Publisher, Quercus: Dear Reader, I hope you’re wrapped up warm. Within these pages are driving blizzards, weeping glaciers and a sea frozen into concrete – all conjured so realistically that you may find your breath misting in front of you as you read. Stef Penney’s power to create a world remote in time and place that feels as real as the book you are holding is unparalleled, and in Under a Pole Star she outdoes even her stunning achievements in The Tenderness of Wolves.Although this book has a cold setting, it has a warm heart. I fell completely in love with clever, wry Flora Mackie and her determination to be an Arctic explorer. As she overcomes all obstacles to be seen as a real scientist and a true leader, I hope you will be as swept up in her adventures and her life-changing love affair as I was.Under a Pole Star is a truly epic story that will stay with you long after you read it. Enjoy the journey. The Costa Judges say: ‘A novel of huge scope with a tremendous sense of period and place.’
One of our Books of the Year 2016. Flora Mackie leads a remarkable life. Daughter of a whaling captain, with her mother dead, she spent many of her teenage years sailing with him and living with the Inuit of Greenland. When grown, it naturally suits her to join an Arctic expedition with a British scientific team. Jakob de Beyn’s obsession with ice and glaciers also leads him north with an American expedition. Though they meet only briefly, he and Flora live similar lives with many parallels and some extraordinary stories. Hardship and determination colour both to the point where it is the Arctic that feels like home and the civilised Victorian world that seems hostile, and it is those sections that I found the most thrilling. Stef Penney’s book is huge; in length, in distances crossed, in ideas, in drama. Her elegant prose is a joy to read. Stretching from 1883 to 1948, it is not a novel of one thing only; not a portrait of a time, not a love story, not a cultural exploration, not an adventure story but all these things together, making it, above all, an excellent read. ~ Sarah Broadhurst November 2016 Book of the Month. A 'Piece of Passion' from the publisher... Dear Reader,I hope you’re wrapped up warm. Within these pages are driving blizzards, weeping glaciers and a sea frozen into concrete – all conjured so realistically that you may find your breath misting in front of you as you read. Stef Penney’s power to create a world remote in time and place that feels as real as the book you are holding is unparalleled, and in Under a Pole Star she outdoes even her stunning achievements in The Tenderness of Wolves.Although this book has a cold setting, it has a warm heart. I fell completely in love with clever, wry Flora Mackie and her determination to be an Arctic explorer. As she overcomes all obstacles to be seen as a real scientist and a true leader, I hope you will be as swept up in her adventures and her life-changing love affair as I was.Under a Pole Star is a truly epic story that will stay with you long after you read it. Enjoy the journey.Jane Wood, Publisher, Quercus
If your debut novel wins the Costa Book of the Year then the 2nd book is always going to be anticipated with some relish and Stef Penney doesn’t disappoint with this murder mystery, set in the gypsy community in the 80’s. Told through the voices of the private investigator who is trying to find a missing girl and a charming 14 year old gypsy boy the story twists and turns drawing the reader on to the inevitable – and only - conclusion.
Shortlisted for the Newcomer of the Year Award at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2008.Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2006. A big sweeping drama set in an icy Canada of 1867. A trapper is murdered, a young man disappears into the wilderness, agents from the Hudson Bay Company are called for and a small settlement is in turmoil. Trackers arrive, secrets appear, love blossoms, duty calls … and the whole mystery and adventure is revealed to us through different voices in a thoroughly intriguing manner. I found this very difficult to put down, it haunted me until I could come to it again. Full of strong characters and magnificently visual descriptions, it is a wonderful read.Similar this month: None but try James Morrow.Comparison: Alistair MacLeod, Joseph Boyden, Leif Enger.Costa Book Awards 2006 Judges' comment: "The Tenderness of Wolves is atmospheric, gripping and compassionate and perfectly evokes the snowy wastes of nineteenth-century Canada."
Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2006. An extraordinarily good book. At its centre it’s a murder mystery but just putting it in one ‘genre’ simply doesn’t do it justice, for a first novel it’s incredibly accomplished. The setting is Canada in the winter of 1867, Scottish settlers rub up against French trappers and they all distrust and abuse the resident Indian tribes. A violent murder and a missing son puts the community of Dove River in the spot light and tests the morals and relationships of everyone involved. Definitely worth buying the hardback. However the paperback is now out - click here for more informationCosta Book Awards 2006 Judges' comment: "The Tenderness of Wolves is atmospheric, gripping and compassionate and perfectly evokes the snowy wastes of nineteenth-century Canada."
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