Harvey, Gill

views updated

Harvey, Gill

PERSONAL:

Born in England. Education: University College Oxford, B.A.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—London, England. Agent—Drury House, 34-43 Russell St., London WC2B 5HA, England.

CAREER:

Freelance writer. Worked for environmental and mental health industries; Usborne Publishing, London, England, writer and editor, 1994.

WRITINGS:

Ball Control, illustrated by Bob Bond, photographs by Chris Cole, Usborne (London, England), 1996.

Defending, Usborne (London, England), 1996.

Passing and Shooting, illustrated by Bob Bond, photographs by Chris Cole, Usborne (London, England), 1996.

(With Richard Dungworth) The Usborne Soccer School, illustrated by Bob Bond, Usborne (London, England), 1997.

(With Rosie Dickins) The Usborne Complete Book of Riding and Pony Care, Usborne (London, England), 1999.

ESP?, Usborne (London, England), 1999.

(Editor) Spotter's Guide to Urban Wildlife, Usborne (London, England), 2000, published as Urban Wildlife, Usborne (London, England), 2006.

(With Struan Reid) The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, illustrated by Inklink Firenze, Ian Jackson, and Aziz Khan, Usborne (London, England), 2001.

(Adaptor) Stories of Giants, Usborne (London, England), 2002.

(Adaptor) Wizards, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, Usborne (London, England), 2002.

(With Paul Dowswell) True Adventure Stories, illustrated by Alan Marks, Usborne (London, England), 2003.

(Adaptor) Stage Fright, illustrated by Alan Marks, Usborne (London, England), 2004.

The Usborne Book of Soccer Skills, illustrated by Bob Bond, photographs by Chris Cole, Usborne (London, England), 2005.

Love in Luxor, Piccadilly (London, England), 2005.

Orphan of the Sun, Bloomsbury Children's Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Tutankhamun, illustrated by Ian McNee, Usborne (London, England), 2006.

(Adaptor) Stories of Witches, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, Usborne (London, England), 2007.

(Adaptor) Gulliver's Travels, illustrated by Peter Dennis, Usborne (London, England), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Author and editor Gill Harvey has published books in several genres. In addition to writing for children, Harvey has produced travel pieces, fiction, nonfiction, and film reviews, including anthologies for London's Usborne publishing that include Stories of Giants, Stories of Witches, and True Adventure Stories, the last a collaboration with writer Paul Dowswell. Love in Luxor, her first novel for teens, is a romance, while Orphan in the Sun is geared for younger readers. Both books were inspired by Harvey's year-long stay in Egypt.

Orphan of the Sun is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Egypt and features a thirteen-year-old orphan named Meryt who struggles with feelings of displacement when she is sent to live with her uncle. Meryt has the ability to see into the future, but when her cousin becomes ill she is blamed by her uncle for his sickness. Thrown out of her uncle's house, the young teen is befriended by a local soothsayer, and this elderly woman teaches Meryt how to use her unique abilities to help save her family name. A Kirkus Reviews critic cited Harvey's ability to "deftly weave … historically accurate details" into her story, and School Library Journal reviewer Kathleen Isaacs called Orphan of the Sun an example of "solid historical fiction with special appeal for fans of Egyptian history." Hazel Rochman, in a review for Booklist, noted that although the plot is somewhat uneven, Orphan of the Sun recounts a "timeless" story featuring a likeable protagonist and her "struggle[s] with family, friends, and love."