Emma Darwin (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Emma L. Darwin is an English
novelist who is the author of the historical fiction
novels The Mathematics of Love (2006) and A Secret Alchemy (2008). She is the great-great-granddaughter of Charles
and Emma Darwin
.
. Her father was Henry Galton Darwin, a lawyer
in the Foreign Office
, son of Sir Charles Galton Darwin
, grandson of Sir George Darwin
, and great-grandson of Charles Darwin
. Her mother Jane (née Christie) is an English
teacher, so they spent three years commuting between London and Brussels
. She has two sisters; Carola and Sophia. The family spent many holidays on the Essex
/Suffolk
border, where much of her novel The Mathematics of Love is set.
She read Drama
at the University of Birmingham
, and she spent some years in academic publishing. But when she had two small children she started writing again, and eventually earned an MPhil
in Writing at the University of Glamorgan
, where her tutor was novelist and poet Christopher Meredith
. The novel she wrote for the degree became The Mathematics of Love, which was sold to Headline Review, as the first of a two-book deal. Meanwhile, she had found the form of a research degree so fruitful that she completed a PhD in Creative Writing
at Goldsmiths' College in 2010, where her supervisor was Maura Dooley. Darwin now lives with her children in South East London, still surrounded by history: there was a Viking
fort on the hill behind their house, and down the road is Eltham Palace
.
The Mathematics of Love was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Best First Book Award for the Europe and South Asia region.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
novelist who is the author of the historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels The Mathematics of Love (2006) and A Secret Alchemy (2008). She is the great-great-granddaughter of Charles
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and Emma Darwin
Emma Darwin
Emma Darwin was the wife and first cousin of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, scientist and author of On the Origin of Species...
.
Biography
Darwin was born and brought up in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her father was Henry Galton Darwin, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
, son of Sir Charles Galton Darwin
Charles Galton Darwin
Sir Charles Galton Darwin, KBE, MC, FRS was an English physicist, the grandson of Charles Darwin. He served as director of the National Physical Laboratory during the Second World War.-Early life:...
, grandson of Sir George Darwin
George Darwin
Sir George Howard Darwin, FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:Darwin was born at Down House, Kent, the second son and fifth child of Charles and Emma Darwin...
, and great-grandson of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
. Her mother Jane (née Christie) is an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher, so they spent three years commuting between London and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. She has two sisters; Carola and Sophia. The family spent many holidays on the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
/Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
border, where much of her novel The Mathematics of Love is set.
She read Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, and she spent some years in academic publishing. But when she had two small children she started writing again, and eventually earned an MPhil
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
in Writing at the University of Glamorgan
University of Glamorgan
The University of Glamorgan is a university based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales with campuses in Treforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil, Tyn y Wern and Cardiff...
, where her tutor was novelist and poet Christopher Meredith
Christopher Meredith
- Personal life :He was educated at Tredegar Comprehensive school and later studied philosophy and English at Aberystwyth University. He has a wife and two sons, Rhodri and Steffan...
. The novel she wrote for the degree became The Mathematics of Love, which was sold to Headline Review, as the first of a two-book deal. Meanwhile, she had found the form of a research degree so fruitful that she completed a PhD in Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
at Goldsmiths' College in 2010, where her supervisor was Maura Dooley. Darwin now lives with her children in South East London, still surrounded by history: there was a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
fort on the hill behind their house, and down the road is Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace is a large house in Eltham, within the London Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It is an unoccupied royal residence and owned by the Crown Estate. In 1995 its management was handed over to English Heritage which restored the building in 1999 and opened it to the public...
.
The Mathematics of Love was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Best First Book Award for the Europe and South Asia region.
Publications
- The Mathematics of Love London: Headline Review (3 Jul 2006) ISBN 0755330625 - paperback published in the UK March 8, 2007 ISBN 978-0755330645. Published in the US ISBN 978-0061140273
- A Secret Alchemy London: Headline Review 13 Nov 2008 ISBN 075533065X
See also
- Author's Website
- Emma DarwinEmma DarwinEmma Darwin was the wife and first cousin of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, scientist and author of On the Origin of Species...