About
Joanne Harris, born in 1964 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, is a British-French novelist. After studying languages at Cambridge, she taught French for fifteen years before becoming a full-time writer. She is best known for her novel Chocolat (1999), adapted into a film starring Juliette Binoche. Her diverse works include psychological thrillers, Norse-myth-inspired fantasy, and contemporary fiction. She was appointed MBE in 2013 and OBE in 2022 for services to literature, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.
* 1964-07-03
Major works
- Chocolat (1999)novel
- Five Quarters of the Orange (2000)novel
- Gentlemen & Players (2005)novel
- Runemarks (2007)novel
- The Gospel of Loki (2014)novel
Key milestones
- 2013Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- 2022Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and appointed OBE
- 2020Chair of the Society of Authors (2020-2024)
Themes
Chocolate and indulgenceNorse mythologyIdentity and belongingSecrets and liesPersonal transformation
Sources: rsliterature.org · caths.cam.ac.uk · simonandschuster.com