Katherine Roberts
Encyclopedia
Katherine Roberts is an English
author, best known for her fantasy trilogy The Echorium Sequence
. She was born in Torquay
, England
and spent most of her childhood in Devon
and Cornwall
, England
. She is the daughter of Derek Robert (an electrical engineer) and Dorothy Margaret (a teacher).
and Cornwall
where she was born. She first entered education at an infant school in Redruth
(Cornwall
), later on joining the Oldway County Primary School in Paignton
(Devon
) and then moving onto Torquay Grammar School for Girls
(also in Devon
). She graduated with a first degree in Mathematics from the University of Bath
. Following on from that, she has had numerous jobs associated with programming computers, looking after racehorses and a job in a pet shop.
was published, winning the Branford Boase Award
for children. She later published Crystal Mask
(2001) and Dark Quetzal
(2003) which were both in the same series.
In 2001, she published the first novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders
series called The Great Pyramid Robbery
, which the Sunday Express said was "A terrific tale of plots, curses and evil forces set in ancient Egypt". This was followed on with The Babylon Game
in 2002, which was said to be "Incredible... adventures that twist and turn and will have you spellbound on every page," by the Children's Book of the Week, South Wales Evening Post. The same year, the third book in the series, The Amazon Temple Quest
, was published, and in 2003, The Mausoleum Murder
was also published. Following on from this, in 2004 and 2005, The Olympic Conspiracy
and The Colossus Crisis
were also published within the series. Recently, Katherine Roberts has also published The Cleopatra Curse
, bringing the series to a total of seven books.
Katherine Roberts has also produced other books such as Spellfall
, which The Sunday Times
Children's Book of the Week said, "this magical and fantastical story from Roberts has lessons for real children about taking responsibility.", Spell Wars (2000), and I am the Great Horse (2006).
She mainly writes within the fantasy
genre, and she is currently encouraging local schools to interest children in creative writing.
, Gloucestershire
. She moved to an old union workhouse where she says she is now even more compelled to "work hard" and "wake up early in the morning". She has had no children.
Her FAQ on her website also states that she does no research for some books mostly genre specific books only and she states that her average book takes 6 months to write. She comments that it takes several drafts of the books she writes to make sense as that is the way she works. She dislikes having a planned out plot and believes part of the fun of writing is feeling your way through the story.
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...
author, best known for her fantasy trilogy The Echorium Sequence
The Echorium Sequence
The Echorium Sequence is a fantasy trilogy by Katherine Roberts. The trilogy comprises Song Quest , Crystal Mask , and Dark Quetzal ....
. She was born in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, England
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...
and spent most of her childhood in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
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...
. She is the daughter of Derek Robert (an electrical engineer) and Dorothy Margaret (a teacher).
Early life
Katherine Roberts spent most of her childhood in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
where she was born. She first entered education at an infant school in Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
(Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
), later on joining the Oldway County Primary School in Paignton
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
(Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
) and then moving onto Torquay Grammar School for Girls
Torquay Grammar School for Girls
Torquay Girls' Grammar School is a selective grammar school for girls aged 11–18, in Torquay, Devon, England. It became one of the first schools to achieve Humanities Specialist School status in September 2004, and is one of the first to offer the AQA Baccalaureate.-History:The school, which was...
(also in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
). She graduated with a first degree in Mathematics from the University of Bath
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
. Following on from that, she has had numerous jobs associated with programming computers, looking after racehorses and a job in a pet shop.
Writing career
In 1999, her first book Song QuestSong Quest
Song Quest is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the first book in The Echorium Sequence followed by Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal. The novel was first published in 1999 by Chicken House as a hardback copy; later on in 2001, the first paperback was published...
was published, winning the Branford Boase Award
Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a British literary award presented annually to an outstanding novel for young people by a first-time writer.Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books and Henrietta Branford worked together previously to produce a great number of books. Both Wendy Boase and...
for children. She later published Crystal Mask
Crystal Mask
Crystal Mask is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the second novel in The Echorium Sequence, and it is the sequel to Song Quest which won the Branford Boase Award in 2000. The novel was first published in 2001 by the Chicken House....
(2001) and Dark Quetzal
Dark Quetzal
Dark Quetzal is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts, first published in 2003 by The Chicken House. It is the final book in The Echorium Sequence and is the sequel to Crystal Mask, set 11 years after the events of that book...
(2003) which were both in the same series.
In 2001, she published the first novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders
The Seven Fabulous Wonders
The Seven Fabulous Wonders is a fantasy series by Katherine Roberts currently comprising seven novels. The novels are based on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and are set in Egypt in 2550 BC but as 2 empires who Lord Khafre is the ruler of....
series called The Great Pyramid Robbery
The Great Pyramid Robbery
The Great Pyramid Robbery is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the first novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the prequel to The Babylon Game.This story is about a young hemutiu called Senu and his ghostly double Red. Senu is usually the class clown and uses his Ka for playing...
, which the Sunday Express said was "A terrific tale of plots, curses and evil forces set in ancient Egypt". This was followed on with The Babylon Game
The Babylon Game
The Babylon Game is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the second novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Great Pyramid Robbery.-Plot:...
in 2002, which was said to be "Incredible... adventures that twist and turn and will have you spellbound on every page," by the Children's Book of the Week, South Wales Evening Post. The same year, the third book in the series, The Amazon Temple Quest
The Amazon Temple Quest
The Amazon Temple Quest is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. The novel was first published in 2002, and it is the third book in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series.-Plot introduction:...
, was published, and in 2003, The Mausoleum Murder
The Mausoleum Murder
The Mausoleum Murder is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the fourth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Amazon Temple Quest.- Plot summary :...
was also published. Following on from this, in 2004 and 2005, The Olympic Conspiracy
The Olympic Conspiracy
The Olympic Conspiracy is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the fifth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Mausoleum Murder.- Plot summary :...
and The Colossus Crisis
The Colossus Crisis
The Colossus Crisis is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the sixth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Olympic Conspiracy....
were also published within the series. Recently, Katherine Roberts has also published The Cleopatra Curse
The Cleopatra Curse
The Cleopatra Curse is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the seventh and final novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Colossus Crisis....
, bringing the series to a total of seven books.
Katherine Roberts has also produced other books such as Spellfall
Spellfall
Spellfall is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts, published on 19 October 2000 by The Chicken House and aimed at pre-teens.- Plot introduction :...
, which The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Children's Book of the Week said, "this magical and fantastical story from Roberts has lessons for real children about taking responsibility.", Spell Wars (2000), and I am the Great Horse (2006).
She mainly writes within the fantasy
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
genre, and she is currently encouraging local schools to interest children in creative writing.
Personal life
In 2005, she separated with her husband and now lives in StroudStroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. She moved to an old union workhouse where she says she is now even more compelled to "work hard" and "wake up early in the morning". She has had no children.
Author comments
She has commented on her website that;Her FAQ on her website also states that she does no research for some books mostly genre specific books only and she states that her average book takes 6 months to write. She comments that it takes several drafts of the books she writes to make sense as that is the way she works. She dislikes having a planned out plot and believes part of the fun of writing is feeling your way through the story.
The Echorium Sequence
- Song QuestSong QuestSong Quest is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the first book in The Echorium Sequence followed by Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal. The novel was first published in 1999 by Chicken House as a hardback copy; later on in 2001, the first paperback was published...
(1999) - Crystal MaskCrystal MaskCrystal Mask is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the second novel in The Echorium Sequence, and it is the sequel to Song Quest which won the Branford Boase Award in 2000. The novel was first published in 2001 by the Chicken House....
(2001) - Dark QuetzalDark QuetzalDark Quetzal is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts, first published in 2003 by The Chicken House. It is the final book in The Echorium Sequence and is the sequel to Crystal Mask, set 11 years after the events of that book...
(2003)
The Seven Fabulous Wonders
- The Great Pyramid RobberyThe Great Pyramid RobberyThe Great Pyramid Robbery is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the first novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the prequel to The Babylon Game.This story is about a young hemutiu called Senu and his ghostly double Red. Senu is usually the class clown and uses his Ka for playing...
(2001) - The Babylon GameThe Babylon GameThe Babylon Game is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the second novel in The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Great Pyramid Robbery.-Plot:...
(2002) - The Amazon Temple QuestThe Amazon Temple QuestThe Amazon Temple Quest is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. The novel was first published in 2002, and it is the third book in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series.-Plot introduction:...
(2002) - The Mausoleum MurderThe Mausoleum MurderThe Mausoleum Murder is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the fourth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Amazon Temple Quest.- Plot summary :...
(2003) - The Olympic ConspiracyThe Olympic ConspiracyThe Olympic Conspiracy is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the fifth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Mausoleum Murder.- Plot summary :...
(2004) - The Colossus CrisisThe Colossus CrisisThe Colossus Crisis is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the sixth novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Olympic Conspiracy....
(2005) - The Cleopatra CurseThe Cleopatra CurseThe Cleopatra Curse is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts which is the seventh and final novel in the The Seven Fabulous Wonders series and the sequel to The Colossus Crisis....
(2006)
Other books
- Spell WarsSpell WarsSpell Wars is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts, published on August 3, 2000 by Element Books and aimed at pre-teens....
(2000) - SpellfallSpellfallSpellfall is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts, published on 19 October 2000 by The Chicken House and aimed at pre-teens.- Plot introduction :...
(2001) - I am the Great HorseI am the Great HorseI am the Great Horse is a general fiction novel by Katherine Roberts, published in August, 2006 by The Chicken House and aimed at teens. It is about the life of Alexander the Great, told from the point of view of his horse, Bucephalus....
(2006)
Awards
- Raconteur Award (1995) - Across the Water
- Story Cellar Award (1994) - Mars Take Seed Make Man
- Grotesque Readers Award (1996) - Fatstock
- Broadsword Fiction of the Year Award (1996) - Under the Eyemoon
- Branford Boase AwardBranford Boase AwardThe Branford Boase Award is a British literary award presented annually to an outstanding novel for young people by a first-time writer.Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books and Henrietta Branford worked together previously to produce a great number of books. Both Wendy Boase and...
(2000) - Song QuestSong QuestSong Quest is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the first book in The Echorium Sequence followed by Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal. The novel was first published in 1999 by Chicken House as a hardback copy; later on in 2001, the first paperback was published...