Lian Hearn is the pseudonym of Gillian Rubinstein. Gillian Rubinstein was born in Potten End, England, on August 29, 1942. She studied modern languages at Oxford University and worked as a research assistant at the London School of Economics. She has worked as a London City Council official, editor, journalist, screenwriter and film critic. In 1973 she went to Australia where she took up residence. In addition to eight plays, numerous short stories, and articles, she has written more than 30 books. With her award-winning and popular 1986 debut "Space Demons" she introduced the themes of growth and fantasy worlds that often crop up in her other writing. Books like Squirrel, Foxspell, and Galax-Arena received critical acclaim and several awards.
Her deep interest in Japan led her to study the Japanese language, to travel to that country numerous times, and eventually to write the Legends of the Otori series.
In 2001, Rubinstein published The Nightingale's Floor, the first of five best-selling Legends of the Otori series under the pseudonym Lian Hearn. The series is set on a fictional island resembling feudal Japan and is her first work aimed at an adult audience.
The name "Lian" comes from a childhood nickname and "Hearn" apparently refers to herons, which are a major theme in the series. It has also been suggested that her last name was taken from Lafcadio Hearn; one of the first Western writers to tackle Japanese mythology.
Gillian Rubinstein currently resides in Goolwa, South Australia.
