Elizabeth Macneal is a highly acclaimed author, born in Edinburgh and currently residing in East London. She has a deep passion for both writing and pottery, and is well-known for her thrilling and historical fiction novels. Macneal studied English Literature at Oxford University and later worked in the City for several years before pursuing her Master's degree in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship.
Macneal's debut novel, "The Doll Factory," published in 2018, quickly gained critical acclaim and commercial success. The novel was the subject of a fourteen-way auction and has since been translated into twenty-nine languages, with rights sold in over thirty territories. It was a Waterstones Book of the Month, Sunday Times bestseller, a Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, a Radio 2 Book Club pick, and the winner of the 2018 Caledonia Novel Award. "The Doll Factory" is set in 1850s London and tells the story of a young woman who dreams of becoming an artist and a man obsessed with collecting, who may just destroy her life. The novel is a captivating tale of possession, obsession, painting, love, and collecting.
In addition to her writing, Macneal is also a skilled ceramicist. She has a ceramic studio at the bottom of her garden, where she creates her unique and beautiful pieces. Her ceramics have been featured on BBC1’s “Mary Berry’s Britain’s Best Home Cook,” and she has been listed as one of the best 5 ceramists in Britain on the “Evening Standard.” Some of her works have been acquired by The Museum of London, which has put them on display. Macneal's second novel, "Circus of Wonders," was also a Sunday Times bestseller and her work has been translated into twenty-nine languages. She currently lives in Twickenham with her family and can be found on Instagram at @elizabethmacneal.