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Sharyn McCrumb

シャーリン・マクラム

Sharyn McCrumb

Pen Names: Sharyn Elaine Arwood（Birth name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1948-02-26 （Wilmington, North Carolina, USA）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Author, Writer
Active Years
1984-
Influenced By
Geoffrey Chaucer
Nominations
Anthony Award (Best Paperback) - Bimbos of the Death Sun (1988), Agatha Award (Best Novel) - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (nominee, 1992), Multiple Anthony Award nominations (short and long form) in the 1990s

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Degree: 修士
Country: United States
Virginia Tech
Medieval literature (studies)
Country: United States
Studied medieval literature (including Chaucer)

Awards

Agatha Award — Best Novel
1988
Work: Paying the Piper
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Malice Domestic / Agatha Awards
Result: 受賞
Agatha Award — Best Short Story
1989
Work: A Wee Doch and Doris
Category: 短編賞
Organization: Malice Domestic / Agatha Awards
Result: 受賞
Agatha Award — Best Novel
1994
Work: She Walks These Hills
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Malice Domestic / Agatha Awards
Result: 受賞
Agatha Award — Best Novel
1995
Work: If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Malice Domestic / Agatha Awards
Result: 受賞
Anthony Award — Best Paperback Original
1988
Work: Bimbos of the Death Sun
Category: ペーパーバック賞
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: ノミネート
Anthony Award — Best Novel
1995
Work: She Walks These Hills
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: 受賞
Macavity Award — Best Mystery Novel
1995
Work: She Walks These Hills
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Mystery Readers International
Result: 受賞
Nero Wolfe Award
1995
Work: She Walks These Hills
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Wolfe Pack
Result: 受賞
Anthony Award — Best Short Story
1995
Work: The Monster of Glamis
Category: 短編賞
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O

1990 Mystery / Historical fiction

A novel interweaving Appalachian legends and local history with a contemporary mystery.

Appalachian legendlocal historymusic and folklore
Translations
  • Japanese translation by Kyoko Asaba (If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O)

She Walks These Hills

1994 Mystery

A mystery set against North Carolina history and legend, linking past crimes to present-day mysteries.

re-examining historylegend vs. realitycommunity secrets
Translations
  • Japanese translation by Kyoko Asaba (She Walks These Hills)

Paying the Piper

1988 Mystery

A novel in the Elizabeth MacPherson series featuring an anthropologist protagonist; local customs intertwine with a mystery.

cultural anthropologylocal customscrime and folklore

Bimbos of the Death Sun

1987 Satire / SF parody

A humorous satirical novel lampooning science fiction conventions and fandom.

satiresubculturecommunity portrayal

Bibliography

  • Sick of Shadows (1984)
  • Lovely in Her Bones (1985)
  • Highland Laddie Gone (1986)
  • Bimbos of the Death Sun (1987)
  • Paying the Piper (1988)
  • She Walks These Hills (1994)

Translations of Works

  • Japanese translations by Kyoko Asaba (several works)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Strong sense of placeInterweaving history and folkloreCharacter-driven narration
Recurring Motifs
Appalachian legendsfolk songs and balladsthe past of local communities

Legacy

Known for tying Appalachian history and folklore into contemporary mysteries, McCrumb has won multiple mystery awards and has raised interest in regional culture; her works are widely read in the English-speaking world.

In Popular Culture

  • The St. Dale series connects motorsport (NASCAR) culture with literature

Trivia

  • Birth name: Sharyn Elaine Arwood.
  • A NASCAR fan; the St. Dale series is inspired by racing culture.
  • Several works have been translated into Japanese (translator Kyoko Asaba among others).