Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough | |
---|---|
Born | Colleen Margaretta McCullough 1 June 1937 Wellington, New South Wales, Australia |
Died | January 29, 2015 Norfolk Island | (aged 77)
Occupation | Novelist, neuroscientist |
Nationality | Australian |
Genre | Historical fiction, romance, science fiction |
Notable works | The Thorn Birds |
Colleen Margaretta McCullough (1 June 1937 – 29 January 2015) was an Australian author known for her novels, including The Thorn Birds and the Masters of Rome series. She was also a neuroscientist.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
McCullough was born in Wellington, New South Wales, and grew up in Sydney. She attended Holy Cross College, Woollahra and later studied at the University of Sydney, where she earned a degree in neurophysiology.
Career[edit | edit source]
Neuroscience[edit | edit source]
Before becoming a full-time writer, McCullough worked in the field of neuroscience. She conducted research and taught at the Yale School of Medicine in the United States.
Writing[edit | edit source]
McCullough's first novel, Tim, was published in 1974. She gained international fame with her second novel, The Thorn Birds (1977), which became a bestseller and was adapted into a successful miniseries in 1983. The novel is set in the Australian Outback and spans over five decades, focusing on the Cleary family.
She also wrote the Masters of Rome series, a collection of historical novels set in Ancient Rome. The series includes titles such as The First Man in Rome and Caesar's Women.
Personal life[edit | edit source]
McCullough married Ric Robinson in 1983, and the couple lived on Norfolk Island.
Death[edit | edit source]
Colleen McCullough passed away on 29 January 2015 on Norfolk Island.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
McCullough's works have been translated into multiple languages and continue to be popular worldwide. Her contributions to literature and neuroscience have left a lasting impact.
Selected bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Tim (1974)
- The Thorn Birds (1977)
- An Indecent Obsession (1981)
- The Ladies of Missalonghi (1987)
- The First Man in Rome (1990)
- Caesar's Women (1996)
- The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet (2008)
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
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Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.- Use dmy dates from October 2023
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- 1937 births
- 2015 deaths
- 20th-century Australian novelists
- 21st-century Australian novelists
- Australian women novelists
- Australian neuroscientists
- People from Wellington, New South Wales
- University of Sydney alumni
- Yale University faculty
- Historical novelists
- Romantic fiction writers
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD