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Hills, Lia
Writer's File

Lia Hills

International
Hills, Lia
In brief
Lia Hills is a poet, novelist and translator. Her collection of poetry The Possibility of Flight (IP Publications, 2008) won the Interactive Press poetry manuscript award in 2008, and her poetry has garnered her many other significant prizes and nominations. She is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Living (Text Publishing, 2009), which was nominated for the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards 2009, the Victoria Premier's Literary Awards 2009, the Inky Gold award 2009 and was a finalist in the NZ Post Children's Book Awards 2010.
  • Primary publisher
    Text Publishing
  • Rights enquiries
    anne.beilby[AT]textpublishing.com.au
  • Publicity enquiries
    lia[AT]liahills.com
Bio

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hills, Lia (1966 - ) is a poet, novelist and translator. She was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand and was educated at Tawa College; Rosny College and the University of Tasmania. Lia Hills has worked as a secondary English teacher, ESL teacher and translator in Switzerland, and she has been a full time writer since 2008.

She published The sign of a Warrior (Raupo/Pearson, 2007), and a collection of poetry The Possibility of Flight (IP Publications, 2008), winner of the Interactive Press poetry manuscript award in 2008. Robert Adamson wrote of the collection, ‘This is a rich and rewarding book.’ Greg Delanty commented, ‘There is something special about Lia Hills’ poetry, something ineffable that takes flight ‘out of the humus of emergent thinks’.’

Hills’ poems have been published and translated in various journals around the world including Agenda (UK), The Best Australian Poems 2009, Overland (AUS) Going Down Swinging (AUS), Ginku Quarterly (Japan), Bravado (NZ) and La Traductiere (France). Her poetry has also garnered a Federation of Australia Writers award, ERL National Poetry award, Greater Dandenong National Poetry award, and several Woorilla Poetry Prize awards.

She is the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Living (Text Publishing, 2009), which was nominated for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards 2009, the Victoria Premier’s Literary Awards 2009, the Inky Gold award 2009 and it is a finalist in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2010.

The Dominion Post wrote, ‘…the best thing you might say about this impressive debut is that it transcends its demographic restrictions entirely – even well balanced adults should swallow their pride and take a look.’

The Northern Rivers Echo commented, ‘This is a beautiful, unique story, and Lia Hills is a consummate storyteller. I cannot wait to read what she writes next.’ The NZ Herald wrote, ‘Hills is a poet whose verse is lyrical…This is an absorbing, thoughtful and refreshing story and, while it tackles grief head on, it’s as much about finding a way to live as it is about loss…Hills, who was born in Wellington, has been hailed as a strong new voice in New Zealand literature…she is most definitely a writer to keep an eye on.’

Tom is Dead (trans., Text Publishing, 2009) was written by Marie Darrieussecq and translated from the French by Lia Hills.The Monthly praised her translation '...an aptly chosen translator and she has produced a text as powerful as the original.'


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