:Stella Duffy

Born in London in 1963{{cite web | title=Stella Duffy | website=contemporarywriters.com | date=1 October 2007 | url=http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth250 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001201331/http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth250 | archive-date=1 October 2007 | url-status=unfit | access-date=11 August 2022}} to a New Zealand father and an English mother, Duffy is the youngest in a family of seven children. She spent her early childhood on a council estate in Woolwich. The family moved to Tokoroa,{{Cite journal|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/my-secret-life-stella-duffy-writer-44-800382.html|title=My Secret Life: Stella Duffy, Writer, 44|journal=The Independent|first=Charlotte|last=Philby|date=29 March 2008|accessdate=24 September 2024}} New Zealand when Duffy was five, and Duffy later returned to London.{{cite web|url=http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth250|title=Biography on British Council website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001201331/http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth250|archive-date=1 October 2007}} She studied English literature and drama at Victoria University of Wellington.{{cite web |url=http://www.afterellen-q.mtvi.com/people/2008/6/stelladuffy |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717172438/http://www.afterellen-q.mtvi.com/people/2008/6/stelladuffy |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-17 |title=AfterEllen profile: Stella Duffy }}

Duffy has written several literary novels, as well as crime novels in the Saz Martin series, published by Serpent's Tail.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In 2018 HarperCollins Publishers released Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy. The book was started by Marsh during World War II, but abandoned. Working with just the book's title, first three chapters and some notes—but no idea of the plot or motive of the villain—Duffy completed the novel, which has received widespread praise for its authenticity and seamless transition between the two authors' work.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/23/money-morgue-ngaio-marsh-stella-duffy-roderick-alleyn-detective-review|title=Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy review – Inspector Alleyn returns|last=Hannah|first=Sophie|date=2018-03-23|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-04-24}}

She has also written over sixty short stories, many plays,{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/starttheweek_20060731.shtml |title= BBC Start the Week, 31 July 2006 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121108093029/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/starttheweek_20060731.shtml |archive-date= 8 November 2012}} as well as feature articles and reviews. With Lauren Henderson she co-edited the fiction anthology Tart Noir (2002). Her own short story in that collection, Martha Grace, was awarded the 2002 Crime Writers' Association's Macallan Short Story Dagger.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2002/index.html|title=2002 Short Story Dagger Awards list|access-date=30 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010022226/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2002/index.html|archive-date=10 October 2007|url-status=dead}} Singling out the Couples was shortlisted for the 1999 James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award. State of Happiness was longlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize, as was The Room of Lost Things in 2008.{{cite news |url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/orangeprize2004/story/0,,1170431,00.html|title=Orange prize longlist revels in diversity| work=The Guardian| location=London | first=John | last=Ezard | date=16 March 2004 | accessdate=24 May 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3512984.stm|title= Author Ali on women's prize list|publisher=BBC News| date=15 March 2004 | accessdate=24 May 2010}}

She adapted the film script of State of Happiness for Fiesta Productions. The first novel in her Saz Martin series, Calendar Girl, was voted fifth equal in the 2007 international poll "The Big Gay Read".{{cite web|url=http://www.queerupnorth.com/news_detail.php?ID=176|title=2007 Big Gay Read winners list|access-date=30 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108202739/http://www.queerupnorth.com/news_detail.php?ID=176|archive-date=8 November 2007|url-status=dead}}

Duffy has written many plays, including The Book of Ruth (and Naomi) for the Bush Theatre's inaugural Sixty Six Books set of plays, an adaptation of Medea, Prime Resident, Immaculate Conceit, The Hand, and solo shows Breaststrokes and The Tedious Predictability of Falling in Love.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

As a stage performer, she is{{when|date=August 2022}} an associate artist with Improbable, has been a member of the comedy improvisation company Spontaneous Combustion since 1988 and has guested with The Comedy Store Players. She has performed her solo show Breaststrokes (Time Out and The Guardian Critic's Choice) in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin, York, and Amsterdam.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

She directed Murder, Marple and Me for the Gilded Balloon (Edinburgh 2012 and tour 2013), Cell Sell for the National Youth Theatre at the Soho Theatre; Kikia te Poa (Matthew J. Saville{{cite web | title=Matthew J Saville | website=NZ On Screen | url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/matthew-saville | access-date=11 August 2022}}), Precious Things (company devised) at the Pacific Playhouse, Skin Tight (Gary Henderson (playwright)) at the Pleasance Islington and Riverside Studios, My Inner Orc at the Pleasance, TaniwhaThames at OvalHouse Theatre. Ordinary Darkness at Hen and Chickens – all for Shaky Isles; and The Seduction of Ms Sarah Hart (Caron Pascoe) at The Oval for Kindred Spirits.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

On screen, she appeared in a 1997 episode of ITV police procedural series The Bill{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0525265/|title= The Bill episode cast list |website= IMDb |date= 25 March 1997 }}on IMDb the 2001 movie Absolution.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300903/|title= Absolution cast list |website= IMDb }} on IMDb.

She also wrote and presented a documentary in 2008 for the BBC's Time Shift strand called How to Write a Mills and Boon.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ff170|title=How to Write a Mills and Boon|work=Timeshift|publisher=BBC Four}}

Duffy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts.{{London Gazette|issue=61608|supp=y|page=B12|date=11 June 2016}}

On 18 April 2015, Duffy spoke at one of the early meetings of a new political party, the Women's Equality Party.{{cite episode|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pty5g|title=The brand new Women's Equality Party: 'not standing in this election'|series=PM |last1=Milligan |first1=Becky |date=23 April 2015 |station=BBC Radio 4|accessdate=21 September 2015}}

Duffy is the founder and co-director of the Fun Palaces campaign.{{clarify|date=August 2022}}{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Duffy is a practising Buddhist and {{as of|lc=yes|2010}} lived in Lambeth with her wife, playwright Shelley Silas.{{cite web|last=Mansfield|first=Susan|url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/books/Interview-Stella-Duffy--Saintly.6333613.jp|title=Interview: Stella Duffy - Saintly whore's virgin territory|work=The Scotsman|date=1 June 2010|access-date=6 April 2011|archive-date=18 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818233459/http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/books/Interview-Stella-Duffy--Saintly.6333613.jp|url-status=dead}}

{{BLP unsourced section|date=August 2022}}

• Calendar Girl (1994)
• Wavewalker (1996)
• Beneath the Blonde (1997)
• Singling Out the Couples (1998)
• Eating Cake (1999)
• Fresh Flesh (1999)
• Immaculate Conceit (2000)
• State of Happiness (2004)
• Parallel Lies (2005)
• Mouths of Babes (2005)
• The Room of Lost Things (2008)
• Theodora, Actress, Empress, Whore (2010)
• The Purple Shroud (2012)
• London Lies Beneath (2016)
• The Hidden Room (2017)
• Money in the Morgue (2018) with Ngaio Marsh
• Lullaby Beach (2021)

• The Tedious Predictability of Falling in Love (1990)
• The Hand, A Lesbian Horror Ballet (1995)
• Close To You (1996)
• Crocodiles and Bears (1999)
• Immaculate Conceit (2003)
• Breaststrokes (2004)
• Prime Resident (2006)
• Medea (new version for Steam Industry) 2009

• CWA Short Story Dagger Award 2002 for Martha Grace (Tart Noir){{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
• CWA Short Story Dagger Award 2013 for Come Away With Me (Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries){{cite web |url=http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2013/short.html |title=Stella Duffy wins the CWA Short Story Dagger 2013|access-date=2013-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054314/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2013/short.html |archive-date=21 September 2013}}
• Stonewall Writer of the Year 2008 for The Room of Lost Things{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
• Stonewall Writer of the Year 2010 for Theodora, Actress, Empress, Whore{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official|https://stelladuffy.blog/}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170830151644/http://doollee.com/PlaywrightsD/duffy-stella.html List of stage plays on Doollee] (archived 2017)
• {{IMDb name|1081106|Stella Duffy}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Stella}}

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century British novelists

Category:21st-century British novelists

Category:British dramatists and playwrights

Category:British LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights

Category:English LGBTQ novelists

Category:LGBTQ people from London

Category:National Youth Theatre members

Category:People from Tokoroa

Category:People from Woolwich

Category:Women mystery writers

Category:21st-century British women writers

Category:20th-century British women writers

Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Women's Equality Party people