Tony Shillitoe
Encyclopedia
Tony Shillitoe started writing professionally in 1992 when Pan Macmillan published the novel Guardians, the first of the successful Andrakis fantasy series, recently republished by Altair Books Pty Ltd under new titles with some minor editorial alterations. Guardians was soon followed by Kingmaker and Dragonlords in 1993.
In 1995 Shillitoe published a teenage fantasy, The Last Wizard, which was shortlisted in the inaugural Aurealis Awards for Best Fantasy Novel. Several short stories appeared in various anthologies between 1996–1998, and in 1999 he published his first young adult novel, Joy Ride with Wakefield Press
.
Shillitoe returned to the fantasy genre in 2002 when HarperCollins
released Blood, the first book in the Ashuak Chronicles, and Blood was also short-listed for Best Fantasy Novel in the Aurealis Awards. Passion and Freedom completed the trilogy in 2003.
2003 also saw the release of his second young adult novel, Caught in the Headlights, which was listed as a "Notable Book for Older Readers" by the Children's Book Council and it has subsequently appeared on Premier's Reading Lists in South Australia
, Victoria
and New South Wales
.
Shillitoe's current fantasy series from HarperCollins is the Dreaming in Amber quartet. Book one, The Amber Legacy, was released in 2006 along with book two, A Solitary Journey. Prisoner of Fate was released in June 2007 and the final book, The Demon Horsemen, was released in July 2008. All ten of Shillitoe's fantasy novels are drawn together into one long, linked saga by the Dreaming in Amber series.
Despite moderate publishing success and peer recognition within Australia
, Shillitoe's works are yet to find an outlet overseas.
Tony Shillitoe works full time as an educator, and is currently employed as the ICTs Manager at Concordia College
in Adelaide, South Australia. He was previously employed as the Middle School Curriculum Coordinator at the same school and conducted occasional teacher-training workshops for the International Baccalaureate Organisation. On casual occasions he has been a course writer, lecturer and marker for the Adelaide Institute of TAFE Professional Writing Unit, and a lecturer and tutor in Education at Flinders University
.
In 1995 Shillitoe published a teenage fantasy, The Last Wizard, which was shortlisted in the inaugural Aurealis Awards for Best Fantasy Novel. Several short stories appeared in various anthologies between 1996–1998, and in 1999 he published his first young adult novel, Joy Ride with Wakefield Press
Wakefield Press
Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company in Australia, based in the Adelaide suburb of Kent Town, South Australia. They publish an eclectic list diverse in subject, tone and point, with strong suits in true stories, gastronomy, history, literature and gift books.-History:Wakefield...
.
Shillitoe returned to the fantasy genre in 2002 when HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
released Blood, the first book in the Ashuak Chronicles, and Blood was also short-listed for Best Fantasy Novel in the Aurealis Awards. Passion and Freedom completed the trilogy in 2003.
2003 also saw the release of his second young adult novel, Caught in the Headlights, which was listed as a "Notable Book for Older Readers" by the Children's Book Council and it has subsequently appeared on Premier's Reading Lists in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Shillitoe's current fantasy series from HarperCollins is the Dreaming in Amber quartet. Book one, The Amber Legacy, was released in 2006 along with book two, A Solitary Journey. Prisoner of Fate was released in June 2007 and the final book, The Demon Horsemen, was released in July 2008. All ten of Shillitoe's fantasy novels are drawn together into one long, linked saga by the Dreaming in Amber series.
Despite moderate publishing success and peer recognition within Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Shillitoe's works are yet to find an outlet overseas.
Tony Shillitoe works full time as an educator, and is currently employed as the ICTs Manager at Concordia College
Concordia College, Adelaide
Concordia College is an independent, co-educational, Lutheran, secondary, day school, located in Highgate, an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia....
in Adelaide, South Australia. He was previously employed as the Middle School Curriculum Coordinator at the same school and conducted occasional teacher-training workshops for the International Baccalaureate Organisation. On casual occasions he has been a course writer, lecturer and marker for the Adelaide Institute of TAFE Professional Writing Unit, and a lecturer and tutor in Education at Flinders University
Flinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
.
Andrakis Trilogy
- Guardians (The Waking Dragon) (1992)
- Kingmaker (The Maker of Kings) (1993)
- Dragon Lords (The Dragonlord War) (1993)
Dreaming in Amber
- The Amber Legacy (2006)
- A Solitary Journey (2006)
- Prisoner Of Fate (2007)
- The Demon Horsemen (2008)
Other Works
- The Last WizardThe Last WizardThe Last Wizard is a 1995 fantasy novel by Tony Shillitoe. It follows the story of Tamesan who lives in a land where Wizards have been outlawed. Rejecting the way of the other women Tamesan chooses to study the art of healing and discovers the secret behind Dragon Mountain.-Background:The Last...
(1995) - Joy Ride (1999)
- Caught in the Headlights (2003)
- Tales of the Dragon (2006)
Short stories
- "The Innkeeper" (1996) in Dream WeaversDream Weavers (anthology)Dream Weavers is a 1996 fantasy anthology edited by Paul Collins.-Background:Dream Weavers was first published in September 1996 by Penguin Books in trade paperback format. It was a short-list nominee for the 1997 Ditmar Award for best long fiction but lost to Lucy Sussex' The Scarlet Rider. Dream...
(ed. Paul CollinsPaul Collins (fantasy writer)Paul Collins is an Australian writer and editor who specializes in science fiction and fantasy.Collins has written many books for younger readers...
) - "The Book of Lore" (1998) in Fantastic Worlds (ed. Paul CollinsPaul Collins (fantasy writer)Paul Collins is an Australian writer and editor who specializes in science fiction and fantasy.Collins has written many books for younger readers...
) - "Virtual God" (2000) in Altair #5 (ed. Robert N. Stephenson, Jim Deed & Andrew Collings)
- "The Mother Anger" (2000) in Altair #6 & 7 (ed. Robert N. Stephenson, Jim Deed & Andrew Collings)
- "The Sculptor" (2000) in Altair #6 & 7 (ed. Robert N. Stephenson, Jim Deed & Andrew Collings)
Aurealis Awards
Fantasy division- Finalist: The Last Wizard (1995)
- Finalist: Blood (2002)