Patricia McKillip biography

Patricia Anne McKillip was born on the 29th February (a leap year), 1948 in Salem, Oregon. The sea coast of Oregon instilled a great love of the sea and the cliffs and she likes nothing more than walking along the beach and admiring the views. McKillip grew up as part of a very strong family, full of love and support. Her father was an Air Force officer and Patricia found herself living with her family in Germany and England between 1958 and 1962 and this gave her an insight into the outside world and their cultures and languages, elements of which she has incorporated into her fantasy novels.

Education

Patricia McKillip received a Bachelor of Arts (English) in 1971 and a Master of Arts in 1973 from San Jose State University.

Writing

Patricia McKillip first began writing at the age of fourteen when she sat overlooking a medieval church and put together a thirty page fairy tale and discovered that she had an active imagination. In 1973, the same year in which she studied for her Master of Arts, saw the publication of her first two books, The Throme of the Erril of Sherril and The House on Parchment Street. It was in 1975, with the publication of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld that the literary world really sat up and took notice, especially when she was awarded the 1975 World Fantasy Award.

A deep love of music (McKillip is an accomplished pianist) runs through her work and there is also a decidedly culinary feel that points to her own love of cooking.

In an effort to counteract the male hero dominated fantasy genre McKillip wrote strong female characters and these, along with her great attention to detail has become her trademark.