Liz Kessler

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-09-09

Liz Kessler was born on October 15, 1966, in England. She earned an English degree from Loughborough University, a teaching qualification from Keele University, and a master's degree in creative writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. Before turning to fiction full-time, she worked as an English and Media Studies teacher, a creative writing instructor, and a journalist for local and regional newspapers in York and Manchester. Kessler is best known for The Tail of Emily Windsnap (2003), the first in a series that eventually grew to eight books following a girl who discovers she is half-mermaid; the series reached number ten on the New York Times Best Seller list in May 2007. Her other notable works include the Philippa Fisher trilogy (2008–2010), and a run of acclaimed contemporary and historical novels including A Year Without Autumn (2011), North of Nowhere (2013), Haunt Me (2017), and When the World Was Ours (2021), a novel set during the Holocaust. A Year Without Autumn was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Award in 2012, Haunt Me won the Kernow Youth Book Awards in 2018, and When the World Was Ours was nominated for the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2023. Kessler lives in St Ives, Cornwall.

Universe(s)

Books

• The Tail of Emily Windsnap (2003) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep (2004) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist (2006) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret (2009) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun (2012) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls (2015) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island (2018) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince (2019) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time (2020) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon
• Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves (2025) · Emily Windsnap Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 10 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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