The award-winning, best-selling author

This website contains affiliate links. If you buy items using these links, I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you.

I’m very pleased to say that HarperCollins have relaunched both Far From Home and Spellhorn in their Children’s Classics series, where they will join Street Child. All three books have now been rejacketed with striking new covers.

The new editions of far From Home and Spellhorn will be published on 2 July 2026.

I’m delighted to announce that The Seamaiden’s Odyssey has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2026. This is a major tribute to Tamsin Rosewell for her wonderful artwork. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed now!

Discover more about The Seamaiden’s Odyssey

Berlie Doherty is the author of the best-selling novel, Street Child, and over 60 more books for children, teenagers and adults, and has written many plays for radio, theatre and television. She has been translated into over twenty languages and has won many awards, including the Carnegie medal for both Granny Was a Buffer Girl and Dear Nobody, and the Writers’ Guild Award for both Daughter of the Sea and the theatre version of Dear Nobody. She has three children and seven grandchildren, and lives in the Derbyshire Peak District with Alan James Brown. Her new picture book The Seamaiden’s Odyssey, illustrated by Tamsin Rosewell, was published by UCLan on 12 September 2024.

Virtual visits

I’m sorry to tell you that I have decided to stop making virtual or live visits to schools.

This hasn’t been an easy decision as I have aways enjoyed the contact with children, sharing ideas and explaining processes, answering questions and listening to their comments.

Thank you to all you enthusiastic teachers who inspire children through your own love of literature.

I do hope you continue to introduce children to my books as you have done throughout my forty four years of writing them! It’s always been a huge pleasure to work with you.

My latest news

The Seamaiden’s Odyssey now also available in paperback

24 February 2025

The Seamaiden’s Odyssey is a coming of age story inspired by the mermaid’s pool in the Derbyshire Peak District. Now also in paperback.

Read more

Event appearances March 2024

19 February 2024

In March 2024, I'm very pleased to be speaking at the 2024 Swadlincote Festival of Words and at Authors Assemble, Buxton. More details here.

Read more

My latest blog posts

The Carnegie Award winners 2025

19 August 2025

The 2025 Carnegie Award winners – reviews and thoughts from me, illustrator Tamsin Rosewell and a young Carnegie Shadower.

Read more

Victorian childhood – work, school, toys and books

29 October 2024

Was Victorian childhood always a miserable existence of constant toil, hardship and disease? Not for all. With guest contribution from Professor Anna Barton.

Read more

See all my blog posts

Most popular pages and posts in the last 30 days

• How to write riddle rhymes and puzzle poems
• Street Child – the bestselling novel
• About me
• The Three Princes – my retelling of a Persian folk-tale
• Treason – my Tudor novel
• Jim Jarvis meets Dr Barnardo
• Blue John – a magical story set in the Castleton Caverns
• How to write a fairy tale
• Winter haikus – exclusive haikus from well-known writers
• Dear Nobody – the Carnegie-winning young adults’ novel

Main photo: Richard Harland Photography