Gillian Mears

{{Short description|Australian writer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2011}} {{Infobox writer  | name = Gillian Mears | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1964|7|21}} | birth_place = Lismore, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2016|5|16|1964|7|21}} | death_place = Near Grafton, New South Wales, Australia | resting_place = | occupation = Writer | language = English | nationality = Australian | education = | alma_mater = | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website =  | portaldisp = }} '''Gillian Mears''' (21 July 1964 – 16 May 2016) was an Australian short story writer and novelist. Her books ''Ride a Cock Horse'' and ''The Grass Sister'' won a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, shortlist, in 1989 and 1996, respectively. ''The Mint Lawn'' won The Australian/Vogel Award.<ref>{{citation|url=http://users.tpg.com.au/waldrenm/mears.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055109/http://users.tpg.com.au/waldrenm/mears.html|archivedate=4 March 2016|title=The Prime of Ms Mears}}</ref> In 2003, ''A Map of the Gardens'' won the Steele Rudd Award.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/firstperson/alive-in-ant-and-bee-by-gillian-mears/3175504|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|title=Alive in Ant and Bee by Gillian Mears|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112213955/http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/firstperson/alive-in-ant-and-bee-by-gillian-mears/3175504|archivedate=12 November 2012|date=February 2009}}</ref>

==Life== Mears was born at Lismore Base Hospital, and raised in Grafton, New South Wales where she was school dux of Grafton High School.<ref name="booktopia">{{cite web|last1=Purcell|first1=John|title=Gillian Mears, author of Foal's Bread, answers Ten Terrifying Questions|url=https://blog.booktopia.com.au/2011/11/04/gillian-mears-author-of-foals-bread-answers-ten-terrifying-questions/|website=Booktopia|accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref>

She moved to Sydney to study at university, beginning a degree in archaeology at the University of Sydney having been inspired to pursue a career in archaeology after reading ''Gods, Graves and Scholars'' by C. W. Ceram. At the age of 18, she withdrew from the course, and instead completed a degree in communications at University of Technology, Sydney.<ref name="booktopia" />

She lived near Grafton, New South Wales. She died in May 2016 after living with multiple sclerosis for seventeen years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/gillian-mears-prizewinning-author-and-euthanasia-advocate-dies-20160519-goyp44.html|publisher=Fairfax Media|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=19 May 2016|title=Gillian Mears: Prize-winning author and euthanasia advocate dies|first=Jason|last=Steger|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521080306/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/gillian-mears-prizewinning-author-and-euthanasia-advocate-dies-20160519-goyp44.html|archivedate=21 May 2016}}</ref>

Bernadette Brennan has written a biography of Gillian Mears.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/other-books/Leaping-into-Waterfalls-Bernadette-Brennan-9781760879785|publisher=Allen & Unwin|author=Bernadette Brennan|date=September 2021|title=Leaping into Waterfalls|accessdate=10 October 2021}}</ref>

==Awards and honours== * 1989 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, shortlist, ''Ride a Cock Horse'' * 1990 The Australian/Vogel Literary Award, winner, ''The Mint Lawn'' * 1996 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, shortlist, ''The Grass Sister'' * 2003 Steele Rudd Award, winner, ''A Map of the Gardens'' * 2011 Colin Roderick Award, winner, ''Foal's Bread'' * 2012 ALS Gold Medal, ''Foal's Bread''<ref>{{citation|url=http://asaliterature.com/?page_id=9/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211023231/http://asaliterature.com/?page_id=9%2F|archivedate=11 December 2014|title=ALS Gold Medal: Previous award winners|date=2014|publisher=Association for the Study of Australian Literature|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2012 Barbara Jefferis Award, shortlist, Foal's Bread''<ref>{{citation |title=Allen and Unwin, Foal's Bread |url=https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/literary-fiction/Foals-Bread-Gillian-Mears-9781743311851}}</ref>'' * 2012 Miles Franklin Award, shortlist, ''Foal's Bread'' * 2012 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Fiction Award, ''Foal's Bread''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/books/mears-wins-pms-literary-award-for-foals-bread/story-e6frg8nf-1226432582588|first=Stephen|last=Romei|date=23 July 2012|title=Mears wins PM's literary award for Foal's Bread |newspaper=The Australian|publisher=News Limited}}</ref>

==Works==

===Novels=== * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=The Mint Lawn |publisher=Allen & Unwin |year=1991 |isbn=9781863730167}} * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=The Grass Sister |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=1995 |isbn=9780091831219}} * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=Foal's Bread |publisher=Allen & Unwin |year=2011 |isbn=9781742376295}}

=== Children's book === * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=The Cat with the Coloured Tail |publisher=Walker Books |year=2015 |isbn=9781922077400}} Illust. Dinale Dabarera

=== Short story collections ===

* {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=Ride a Cock Horse |publisher=Pascoe Publishing |year=1988 |isbn=9780947087128}} * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=Fineflour |publisher=University of Queensland Press |year=1990 |isbn=9780702223112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xoEYvm2E5VsC&pg=PA194}} * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=Collected Stories |publisher=University of Queensland Press |year=1997 |isbn=9780702229503}} * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=A Map of the Gardens: Stories |publisher=Pan Macmillan Australia |year=2002 |isbn=9780330363464}}<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.api-network.com/main/index.php?apply=reviews&webpage=api_reviews&flexedit=&flex_password=&menu_label=&menuID=homely&menubox=&Review=4517|title=A Map of the Gardens|first=Sue|last=Bond|date=October 2002|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930201209/http://www.api-network.com/main/index.php?apply=reviews&webpage=api_reviews&flexedit=&flex_password=&menu_label=&menuID=homely&menubox=&Review=4517|archivedate=30 September 2012}}</ref>

===Non-fiction=== * {{cite book |first=Gillian |last=Mears |author-mask=2 |title=Paradise Is a Place |publisher=Random House Australia |year=1997 |isbn=9780091836412}} Phot. Sandy Edwards

===Essays=== *''Alive in Ant and Bee '' *''[https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C777179?mainTabTemplate=workPublicationDetails Fairy Death] ''

==References== {{reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{Cite web |title=Gillian Mears aggregated collection of papers, photographs and audiovisual material, 1941-2016 |url=https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/nM70MBNY |website=State Library of NSW}}

==External links== *{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/06/1019441476027.html|title=Runaway success|first=Janet|last=Hawley|date=7 May 2002|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113221849/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/06/1019441476027.html|archivedate=13 November 2015}} *{{Cite web |last=Brennan |first=Bernadette |title=Romance and reality |url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/openbook_spring_2021.pdf |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=Openbook |publisher=State Library of NSW |pages=52–55}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mears, Gillian}} Category:1964 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Australian women short story writers Category:Writers from New South Wales Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:University of Technology Sydney alumni Category:20th-century Australian novelists Category:21st-century Australian novelists Category:20th-century Australian women novelists Category:21st-century Australian women novelists Category:ALS Gold Medal winners Category:People from Grafton, New South Wales Category:Deaths from multiple sclerosis Category:People with multiple sclerosis Category:20th-century Australian short story writers Category:21st-century Australian short story writers