Shirley Marr is an award winning children’s author and a first generation Chinese-Australian living in sunny Perth. A Glasshouse of Stars, based on her experiences of being a child migrant was the Children Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) Book of the Year for Younger Readers in 2022. Shirley’s latest title is All Four Quarters of the Moon and is a celebration of sisterhood and Chinese culture. Her earlier titles are Fury, Preloved and Little Jiang.
It was while she was working on a very dry Accounting PhD that she realised she’d rather be writing down her dark, twisted daydreams instead. She is still a Bespectacled Accountant by day and a Masked Writer at night.
Shirley describes herself as having a Western Mind and an Eastern Heart and writes in the middle where both collide. She takes milk and sugar with her tea much to the dismay of her oolong drinking friends and eats chicken feet much to the disgust of her Aussie friends. Her passion is to distil her cultural heritage in dark and unusual ways through the lens of resilient young women.
She is the only person she knows who has ever been kicked out of a bookstore (twice) for disruptive behaviour.
She is represented by Gemma Cooper from The Bent Agency (author profile located here). Please contact Gemma for all media & author enquiries.
Author photo for general release by Isabelle Haubrich, 2022 and Jessica Wyld, 2019 & 2020
AWARDS
A Glasshouse of Stars
WINNER, WA Premier’s Book Awards – Writing for Children 2021
WINNER, CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers 2022
Shortlisted, Queensland Literary Awards 2022 – Children’s Book Awards
Shortlisted, Readings Children’s Friction Prize 2022
Nominated, CILIP Carnegie Medal 2022