Marianne Curley was born in Windsor, NSW, Australia, in 1959 and lived on a property hugging the Hawkesbury River until a flood washed away the family home when she was five. Her family moved to a small farm on the outskirts of Sydney near Blacktown called Plumpton, and with no close neighbours, Marianne soon discovered her love of books. Marianne has worked as a legal stenographer and teacher of adult education. She undertook writing courses, experimenting with different styles and techniques. She soon found writing for young adults the most challenging and satisfying.

Marianne began her writing career while raising her young family in Coffs Harbour, NSW, an idyllic environment where she lived for twenty years. Today she lives on a mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland, where, surrounded by rainforests and stunning views, she is continuing with her writing career after a serious battle with cancer and a fall which left her with several broken vertebra. Now Marianne’s children are all grown and left home, and while they still inspire her writing, they have become her first-readers, giving her their invaluable critiques.

Marianne’s novels include: Old Magic, The Named, The Dark, The Key and The Shadow, with dozens of translations between them. The Avena Series, with Hidden, Broken and Fearless were released between 2013 to 2015. Some of Marianne’s books have won awards, while many readers have left touching and heartfelt reviews.

Awards
The Named
An International Reading Association’s Young Adult Choice 2004
A “Recommended Read” Red House Children’s Book Award 2003
A “Recommended Read” in the WAYRBA – West Australian Young Reader’s Book Awards 2005

The Dark
An International Reading Association’s Young Adult Choice for 2005
A Junior Library Guild Selection 2005
An International Reading Association’s Teacher’s Choice for 2005

Old Magic
An International Reading Association’s Young Adult Choice for 2004

In 2004 doctors diagnosed Marianne with a form of bone marrow cancer called Myelofibrosis, informing her that she had only a short time to live. But after a stem-cell bone marrow transplant using her sister’s cells, she began to recover. Marianne has now been cancer free for ten years and is back writing as strong as ever.

In 2018 Marianne released the long-awaited fourth book in The Guardians of Time Series called The Shadow. The Shadow picks up precisely where The Key ended.    

In 2021 Old Magic turned 21. To celebrate these 21 years in publication, Marianne released her own new edition in the British Commonwealth, countries that included Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, and many others.

Marianne is currently working on two stand alone, Young Adult, books. One is paranormal fantasy with time travel, the other is contemporary for older readers. Details soon.

Old Magic – Four of the many different editions

 

The Guardians of Time Series

The Avena Series