How an advertising copywriter became a global bestseller
In short: Before she was a household name, Liane Moriarty was writing copy for cereal boxes. Now, with over 20 million books sold worldwide, the Australian author has mastered the art of the suburban mystery, turning domestic life into a gripping, cinematic phenomenon.
Liane Mori Farquhar Moriarty, born in November 1966, did not initially set out to conquer the literary world. After considering journalism, she built a career in advertising and marketing, even running her own freelance copywriting business. Her path to authorship was sparked by the success of her sister, Jaclyn Moriarty, who won a New South Wales Premier's Literary Award in 2000. Motivated by this, Liane enrolled in a creative writing graduate course at Macquarie University, where she wrote her debut novel, Three Wishes.
Moriarty’s work is often categorized as women's fiction, a label she embraces despite critics sometimes relegating the genre to the metaphorical 'broom closet.' Her narratives typically focus on middle-class suburban women and explore heavy themes such as domestic abuse, grief, infertility, and class tensions. While her plots often center on crime or mysterious deaths, her storytelling is noted for its ability to blend comedy and melodrama, as seen in works like The Hypnotist's Love Story.
Her commercial impact is immense. She was the first Australian author to debut at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and the first to have three books reach that position. While her novels like Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers became massive hits in the United States and were adapted into major television series, her rise was more complex at home. In 2014 and 2016, reports suggested she remained relatively obscure in Australia, failing to attract the same substantial local readership that her overseas success commanded.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Liane Moriarty
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