Golding, Julia 1969-

Personal

Born 1969, in England; married; children: three. Education: Cambridge University (English); Oxford University, Ph.D. (literature).

Addresses

Home and office—Oxford, England.

Career

Author. Worked previously as a diplomat for the British Foreign Office and as a lobbyist for Oxfam.

Awards, Honors

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, Nestlé Children's Book Prize, British Book Trust, and Costa Coffee Children's Book Award shortlist, all 2006, all for The Diamond of Drury Lane.

Writings

Ringmaster, Egmont (London, England), 2007.

The Ship between the Worlds, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 2007.

"CAT ROYAL" SERIES

Cat among the Pigeons, Egmont (London, England), 2006.

Den of Thieves, Egmont (London, England), 2007.

Cat o' Nine Tails, Egmont (London, England), 2007.

Black Heart of Jamaica, Egmont (London, England), 2008.

The Diamond of Drury Lane, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2008.

"COMPANIONS QUARTET" SERIES

Secret of the Sirens, illustrated by David Wyatt, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2007.

The Gorgon's Gaze, illustrated by David Wyatt, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2007.

Mines of the Minotaur, illustrated by David Wyatt, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2008.

The Chimera's Curse, illustrated by David Wyatt, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

Julia Golding is a former British diplomat and a lobbyist who has advocated on behalf of people living in war zones. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of the popular "Cat Royal" children's novel series as well as the "Companions Quartet." As Golding noted for Contemporary Writers online, her purpose in writing is "to tell stories." Admitting the excitement that writing brings to her, she added that she writes her stories for one special audience: her own children. Asked by these home-grown fans what is going to happen next in a work in process, "the exciting thing is—I DON'T KNOW!," Golding explained.

Adventure is the plot-driving factor in Golding's first "Companions Quartet" novel, Secret of the Sirens. Subseqiemt to causing a series of strange animal-related mishaps, eleven-year-old Connie is sent to live with her eccentric Aunt Evelyn. After moving in, Connie learns that her aunt is a member of a secret society that defends and aids the mythical creatures of the world. The girl also discovers that she herself possesses a unique and extraordinary gift: the ability to communicate with all creatures. This power makes her a "Universal." Connie then joins the secret society, and as Golding's story unfolds she must help save the sirens from the demise of an oil company and the predations of Kullervo, a malicious spirit. A Publishers Weekly critic commented on Golding's incorporation of eco-friendly themes and remarked that Secret of the Sirens "packs a serious environmental message, yet never feels heavy-handed." Lisa Marie Williams, in her review of the novel for School Library Journal, wrote that Golding spins a "strong fantasy filled with fantastic mythical creatures and companions alike." In Kirkus Reviews a critic acknowledged Golding's middle-grade novel as "structurally epic but gentle in aura," making it "an easily accessible tale for readers."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2008, Diana Tixier Herald, review of The Gorgon's Gaze, p. 76.

Bookseller, August 26, 2005, "Diplomat Tells Secret," p. 9; November 18, 2005, Nicholas Clee, "Modernising Myths," p. 34; June 1, 2007, "Twice Struck Golding," p. 8.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April, 2007, Cindy Welch, review of Secret of the Sirens, p. 328.

Evening Standard (London, England), January 27, 2006, "Diplomat's 1,000-Pound Book Prize," p. 10.

Guardian (London, England), June 12, 2007, review of The Ship between the Worlds, p. 7.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2007, review of Secret of the Sirens; September 1, 2007, review of The Gorgon's Gaze.

Magpies, November, 2006, Rayma Turton, review of Cat among the Pigeons, p. 36.

Publishers Weekly, May 7, 2007, review of Secret of the Sirens, p. 60.

School Librarian, summer, 2006, Janet Fisher, review of The Diamond of Drury Lane, p. 98; summer, 2006, Valerie Caless, review of Secret of the Sirens, p. 98; winter, 2006, Robert Dunbar, review of The Gorgon's Gaze, p. 206; winter, 2006, Valerie Caless, review of Cat among the Pigeons, p. 188; summer, 2007, Chris Brown, review of Den of Thieves, p. 89.

School Library Journal, January, 2008, Lisa Marie Williams, review of Secret of the Sirens, p. 118.

Times Educational Supplement, March 3, 2006, Fiona Lafferty, "Tales of Deferring-Do Past and Present," p. 13; April 14, 2006, Huw Thomas, "Worlds Apart," p. 25.

ONLINE

Children's Bookwatch,http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ (September 1, 2007), review of Secret of the Sirens.

Contemporary Writers Web site,http://www.contemporarywriters.com/ (March 4, 2008), "Julia Golding."

Julia Golding Home Page,http://www.juliagolding.co.uk (March 4, 2008).

Kidzworld Web site,http://www.kidzworld.com/ (March 4, 2008), interview with Golding.