Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Readalikes
Stef Penney was born and grew up in Edinburgh.
After a degree in Philosophy and Theology she turned to film-making, studying Film and TV at Bournemouth College of Art.
On graduation she was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme and has since written extensively for film and radio.
Her first novel, The Tenderness of Wolves was named Costa Book of the Year 2006, and Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year 2008. It has been translated into 30 languages, and is a world-wide bestseller.
Stef lives in London.
Stef Penney's website
This bio was last updated on 10/18/2016. We try to keep BookBrowse's biographies both up to date and accurate, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's a tough task. So, please help us - if the information about this author is out of date or inaccurate, and you know of a more complete source, please let us know. Authors and publishers: If you wish to make changes to a bio, send the complete biography as you would like it displayed so that we can replace the old with the new.
In two separate interviews Stef Penney discusses The Tenderness of Wolves and The Invisible Ones
Questions for Stef Penney from Tana French
I've never been a believer in the whole "write what you know" thing. I think it negates imagination and empathy, which are probably the two most crucial qualities for a writer, and I think it's especially pointless for mystery writers - what, you shouldn't write a murder mystery unless you've actually killed someone? But you go deeper into unknown territory than most, especially most in the crime genre. Is that a deliberate choice? Do you feel a pull toward exploring stuff that's very far from your own experience? Or is that just the way the ideas come up?
SP: I definitely do feel a pull toward people and places that are far from my own life. Whenever I pick up a book I think, "Tell me something I don't know." Because I work quite slowly, I have to keep myself interested over a long research and writing period. So I can't see myself writing about modern middle-class Londoners anytime soon. But, then, you never know . . .
You're one of the writers who stretch the conventions of the genre and that's one of the things I love about your ...
Gil (Gillian) Adamson is the author of two books of poetry, Primitive (1991) and Ashland (2003), and a collection of short stories, Help Me, Jacques Cousteau (1995). The Outlander is her first novel and was 10 years in the... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Tenderness of Wolves
Try:
The Outlander
by Gil Adamson
Eowyn LeMay Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. She received her BA in journalism and minor in creative writing through the honors program at Western Washington University... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Tenderness of Wolves
Try:
The Snow Child
by Eowyn Ivey
We recommend 7 similar authors
Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke
A new novel from the NY Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
Reader Reviews
The author of the worldwide bestseller Call Me by Your Name revisits its complex and beguiling characters.
About the book
Memorial Drive
by Natasha Trethewey
The moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of tragedy.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email.
