Friday, November 7, 2008

Author Spotlight: Lene Kaaberbol

Lene Kaaberbol started writing at 12 years old. She published her first book age 15, in 1975 - a novel about a girl named Tina and her horses - and added more to make a series throughout her high school years. She moved into fantasy writing when she was 18 years old, after discovering the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Women have an important role in her books, as do themes of seeking identity, personal courage, and ethics.

Though she has been a secondary school teacher, copywriter, literary translator, literary editor, cleaning assistant, and even riding teacher, she is now a full-time writer. She has written for both children and adults, from novels to picture books, and has published several books in her native Denmark. Ms Kaaberbol has also translated her own work into English.

Among her many titles is the stand-alone novel Silverhorse (1992), the four books in the Shamer Chronicles, the Katriona Trilogy, and several other series - including the popular W.I.T.C.H. series. 

Lene Kaaberbol's work has been honored many times, including for her novel, The Shamer's Daughter, which was short-listed for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation, and Disney Writer of the Year Award for her work on the W.I.T.C.H. series.