Anna Smaill

Anna Smaill is a New Zealand author and musician whose debut novel The Chimes won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2016. Set in a post-apocalyptic England where written language has been abolished and replaced by music, the novel was praised for its lyrical prose and distinctive vision. Smaill was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She holds a PhD in English literature from Cambridge University. The Chimes draws on her background as a classical violinist. The novel won the World Fantasy Award and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. She lives in London and continues to write and practice music.