S. E. Lister

S. E. Lister (born 26 April 1988) is an English historical fiction author. In 2015 she was nominated for the Edinburgh First Book Award for her debut novel Hideous Creatures.

S. E. Lister
Born (1988-04-26) 26 April 1988
OccupationNovelist
NationalityBritish
EducationBachelor of Arts
Alma materUniversity of Warwick
GenresHistorical fiction, mystery fiction, thriller
Years active2014–present

Life and career

S. E. Lister was born on 26 April 1988, and grew up in Newent, Gloucestershire.[1] In 2006 she began a Creative Writing course at the University of Warwick.[1][2] In May 2014, Lister released her debut novel, Hideous Creatures, through Old Street Publishing.[3] Jane Housham of The Guardian gave the book a positive review, describing it as "a gothic road novel" and saying that its pace was "well-handled throughout".[3]

Author Maxim Jakubowski also praised the novel, saying that "[it] grips and enchants and you never want it to end". Marcus Sedgwick commended the book, saying that it is "what all the best fiction should be; something rich and strange".[4] In 2015 Lister received a nomination for Hideous Creatures for that year's Edinburgh First Book Award[1] – the prize ultimately went to Colin MacIntyre for The Letters of Ivor Punch.[5]

Lister's follow-up to Hideous Creatures, The Immortals, was published in September 2015, again by Old Street.[6] David Duff of We Love This Book reviewed the novel positively, describing the story as "extraordinary" and the characters as "fascinating". He remarked: "S. E. Lister has done a commendable job of turning a well-trodden concept into something quite new."[7] Isabella Silvers of InStyle recommended the book as one of six to read that summer, saying that she was "gripped" by it.[8] Jakubowski again praised Lister, saying that The Immortals was "truly the stuff of dreams".[9]

A more mixed review came from Rebecca Monks of The List, who awarded the book three out of five. Monks praised the "fast-paced plot ... strong characters and witty, energetic dialogue", and felt that Lister's style was "charming", but criticised the novel's premise as "familiar".[6] Jane Jakeman of The Independent similarly felt that the book's evocations of "lush", but that "Lister takes us whirling through time so fast that nothing makes any great impression".[10]

Awards and accolades
Year Award Details Result Ref.
2015 Edinburgh First Book Award Hideous Creatures Nominated [1]

References
  1. "S E Lister". London, UK: DKW Literary Agency. 2014. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  2. "S E Lister". Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh International Book Festival. 2014. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  3. Housham, Jane (30 May 2014). "Hideous Creatures by SE Lister review – a gothic road novel driven by demons". The Guardian. London, UK: Guardian News and Media. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  4. "Hideous Creatures". London, UK: DKW Literary Agency. 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  5. Williams, Martin (25 October 2015). "Pop singer turned author wins Edinburgh first book prize". The Herald. Glasgow, UK: Herald & Times Group. ISSN 0965-9439. OCLC 29991088. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  6. Monks, Rebecca (10 September 2015). "SE Lister – The Immortals". The List. Edinburgh, UK: The List. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  7. Duff, David (16 September 2015). "The Immortals". London, UK: We Love This Book. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. Silvers, Isabella (20 May 2016). "The 6 Books To Read On Your Summer Holiday (If You Hate Chick Lit)". InStyle. Time. ISSN 1076-0830. OCLC 42615366. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  9. "The Immortals". London, UK: DKW Literary Agency. 2015. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. Jakeman, Jane (27 August 2015). "Historical fiction round-up: Sherlock Holmes, secrets and a hefty dose of Nordic noir". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.

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