Danielle Wood is a wordsmith. Her books include the Australian/Vogel’s Prize-winning novel, The Alphabet of Light and Dark, and the fairy-tale inspired collections Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls and Mothers Grimm. As ‘Minnie Darke’, she is the author of the internationally acclaimed Star-crossed, and other works including The Lost Love Song and Three Juliets. She has collaborated with friend and fellow author Heather Rose to write children’s fiction, and has edited two anthologies of Tasmanian writing. She lives in Lutruwita/Tasmania, contributes a regular column to the local metropolitan daily newspaper, and teaches in the English program at the University of Tasmania.
Danielle Wood grew up in southern Lutruwita/Tasmania, influenced by a rich culture of storytelling and by the wild beauties of the island. Her dream, as a child, was to be an author.
Her first career was as a journalist. Then, following a brief episode as media officer for Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service, she completed a PhD in writing at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. Her PhD novel was The Alphabet of Light and Dark, which won the Australian/Vogel’s Literary Prize in 2002.
Danielle’s fiction is fed by two streams – the island of her birth, and the magical versatility of the fairy tale. The Alphabet of Light and Dark, Housewife Superstar: the very best of Marjorie Bligh and two edited collections, Deep South: stories from Tasmania and Island Story: Tasmania in Object and Text, engage with Tasmania’s unique history, environment and culture. The collections Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls and Mothers Grimm provide contemporary fairy tale reinventions that focus on the experiences of women.
A versatile wordsmith, Danielle writes fiction, non-fiction, essays and prose poetry. With fellow Tasmanian writer Heather Rose, she is ‘Angelica Banks’, author of the middle grade fantasy series, Finding Serendipity, A Week Without Tuesday and Blueberry Pancakes Forever. Her alter-ego, Minnie Darke, writes smart, tender love stories that include the internationally best-selling Star-crossed.
Since 2003, Danielle has taught writing at the University of Tasmania. Among the wonderful writers who have passed through her classroom and/or completed higher degrees under her supervision are Erin Hortle, Robbie Arnott, Colin Varney, Kate Kruimink, Rachel Leary and Keely Jobe.
Danielle lives and works on Mumirimina, Muwinina and Melukerdee country. She acknowledges with deep respect the Palawa people who are the traditional owners of Lutruwita/Tasmania.
