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In the
footsteps of the High Priestess of Fantasy… Tanith
Lee – 1947-2015 – was a huge influence on fantasy literature, and a towering
inspiration to a generation of writers, who were captivated by her iconic,
poetic prose, her deft use of language, her surreal visions and her
ground-breaking ideas. Many successful authors claim that discovering the work
of Tanith Lee encouraged them to write in the first place. In particular, she
was instrumental in giving women writers the confidence to break the staid moulds
of the genre – to be evocative, sensual and daring in their work, to smash
boundaries.
Its title inspired by Tanith’s Flat Earth sequence of
books, (in particular Night’s Master), Night’s Nieces is a collection of
stories by female writers, who not only counted Tanith Lee as a close friend,
but also as a mentor, a teacher and an inspiration. Tanith, having no children
herself, considered these younger women to be her ‘nieces’ and offered her
support to their writing.
While the ‘nieces’ included in this book do not
encompass all of Tanith’s close writer friends - for she had many - it amply
provides a sample of her legacy. Each ‘niece’ has written a short story
inspired by Tanith’s work, as well as an accompanying article describing how
Tanith influenced her career and sharing fond memories of her friendship. The
book also includes previously unpublished photographs from Tanith’s life, as
well as artwork by the authors. Contributors
include Storm Constantine, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Vera Nazarian, Sarah
Singleton, Kari Sperring, Sam Stone, Freda Warrington and Liz Williams. With an
introduction by John Kaiine.
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