Monica Hughes

Biography

Monica Hughes was born in England in 1925, and grew up in Egypt, London and Edinburgh, Scotland. In school she heard and read fascinating legends and myths which inspired her to write her own stories. Although she began writing stories and novels for adults at an early age, her work was continually rejected by publishers until years later, when she read a book on literature for young people and discovered some of the wonderful juvenile novels written in the 1950s and 1960s.

From then on, she knew she wanted to write for young people. Since 1974 she has had more than 30 novels and many short stories published. She attributes her success to perseverance, thorough research, and being able to combine the logical side of her brain with the imaginative side. Her science fiction novels are especially thought-provoking.  She spoke regularly at schools in her home city of Edmonton and beyond and she continued to be an active writer up until the time of her sudden death from a stroke in March 2003. Some the best-known novels of the over 35 that were published during her lifetime included Crisis on Conshelf Ten, Hunter in the Dark, The Isis Pedlar, Storm Warning, and The Maze (HarperCollins, 2002), the final book published prior to her death. In addition to her prolific writing, Hughes was a weaver and watercolor artist. She was also very involved in her community, church, and social causes such as Amnesty International. In 2002, she was made a member of the Order of Canada, one of the most prestigious honors that a Canadian can receive. She leaves behind her husband, Glen, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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