Editing Stephen R. Lawhead

{{Short description|UK-based American writer (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2011}}
{{infobox writer
|name=Stephen R. Lawhead
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1950|7|2}}
|birth_place=[[Kearney, Nebraska]], U.S.
|occupation=Writer
|nationality=American
|education=[[Kearney High School (Kearney, Nebraska)|Kearney High School]]<br>[[University of Nebraska at Kearney|Kearney State College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Northern Seminary|Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]]<br>[[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]]
|genres={{flatlist|
*[[Fantasy literature|Fantasy]]
*[[science fiction]]
*[[historical fiction]]
*[[children's literature]]
*[[non-fiction]]
}}
|spouse={{marriage|Alice Slaikeu|1972}}
|children=2
|parents=Robert Eugene Lawhead<br>Lois Rowena Bissell Lawhead
|website={{URL|https://www.stephenlawhead.com}}
}}
'''Stephen R. Lawhead''' (born July 7, 1950) is an American writer<ref>{{cite news|title=Harry Potter Books|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/45959895.html?dids=45959895:45959895&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+31,+1999&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Harry+Potter+Books&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105072234/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/45959895.html?dids=45959895:45959895&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+31,+1999&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Harry+Potter+Books&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2012|access-date=January 11, 2011|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 31, 1999|quote=...bestselling author Stephen R Lawhead's Dragon King series...}}</ref> known for his works of [[fantasy]], science fiction, and [[historical fiction]], particularly Celtic historical fiction.  He has written over 28 novels and numerous children's and non-fiction books.

==Biography==
He was born to Robert Eugene Lawhead and Lois Rowena Bissell Lawhead at Good Samaritan Hospital, [[Kearney, Nebraska]]. In 1968, Lawhead graduated from [[Kearney High School (Kearney, Nebraska)|Kearney High School]] and entered [[Kearney State College]] as an Art major. In 1969, while at Kearney State College, he wrote a weekly humour column for the [[college newspaper]] and was a frequent contributor of poetry and [[short story|short stories]] to ''The Shore Anthology'' and ''The Antler''. He paid his way through college largely through playing lead guitar in a college rock band named Mother Rush. Lawhead met Alice Slaikeu in 1971, and married her in 1972. He graduated from Kearney State College in 1973 with BA in Art and then went on to enroll in [[Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]]. During this time Lawhead also enrolled in a number of writing courses at nearby [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]]. His professional writing career began with five busy years as an editor and staff writer for Campus Life magazine.<ref>{{cite web|title=God in the life of Stephen Lawhead|url=https://www.oxford.anglican.org/stephen-lawhead/|website=Diocese of Oxford|access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Author|url=http://www.stephenlawhead.com/the-author|website=Stephen R. Lawhead|access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref> In 1980, Lawhead became the manager of the successful [[Christian rock]] act [[DeGarmo and Key]] and formed his own record company, Ariel Records.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://unknews.unk.edu/2003/12/02/stephen-lawhead-award-winning-author-and-unk-alumnus-is-winter-commencement-speaker/|title = STEPHEN LAWHEAD, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND UNK ALUMNUS, IS WINTER COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER|date = December 2, 2003|access-date = May 26, 2015|publisher = University of Nebraska at Kearney}}</ref> The demise of Ariel Records in 1981 prompted the beginning of Lawhead's fiction-writing career.

In 1981, Lawhead began to author novels, initially fantasy and science fiction, completing his first trilogy, the "Dragon King trilogy". In 1986, he moved to [[Oxford]], [[England]], to do research for [[Pendragon Cycle|The Pendragon Cycle]], a reinterpretation of the legend of [[King Arthur]] in a [[Celt]]ic setting combined with elements of [[Atlantis]]. Heavily rooted in the original Celtic source material which gave rise to the later and more familiar versions of the [[Arthurian legend]], the series has received critical acclaim for its creative retelling of the Arthur legend and historical credibility.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2010/08/conundrum-of-stephen-lawhead-catholic.html | title=The Conundrum of Stephen Lawhead | author=Bradley J. Birzer |author-link=Bradley J. Birzer | website=[[The Imaginative Conservative]]| date=August 30, 2010 }}</ref>

The first book in the series, ''Taliesin'', won the [[Evangelical Christian Publishers Association]]'s Gold Medallion Award for Fiction in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Christian Book Expo: 1988 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners|url = http://www.christianbookexpo.com/christianbookawards/gm1988.php|website = christianbookexpo.com|access-date = May 27, 2015}}</ref> Lawhead's research for The Pendragon Cycle sparked an interest in Celtic history and culture, especially [[Celtic Christianity]], topics which have featured prominently in his work ever since.

"The [[Song of Albion]]" trilogy prompted a return to England (Lawhead having left in 1987). This was a series of books set between the [[Celtic Otherworld]] and present-day [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. In the 1990s, he published ''[[Byzantium]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=James|first=Marion|title='Byzantium' by Steven R. Lawhead|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169620&bolum=111|access-date=January 11, 2011|newspaper=[[Today's Zaman]]|date=March 15, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012235531/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=169620&bolum=111|archive-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref> a work of pure [[historical fiction]], followed by "The Celtic Crusades" trilogy, set at the time of the [[Crusades]], and then ''Avalon: The Return of King Arthur'', a stand-alone related to the ''[[Pendragon Cycle]]''.

In 2003, Lawhead published the novel ''Patrick: Son of Ireland'', a fictionalized account of the early years of [[Saint Patrick]]. In 2006, he published ''[[King Raven Trilogy|Hood]]'', the first book in the ''[[King Raven Trilogy]]'' – a retelling of the [[Robin Hood]] legend, transferred to [[Wales]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Jane|title=The truth about Robin Hood|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-truth-about-robin-hood-20100528-wkyy.html|access-date=January 11, 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=May 28, 2010}}</ref> In 2008, the second book in the trilogy, ''Scarlet'', won a [[Christy Award]] in the category of Visionary Fiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/images/stories/client_pdf/00-10_WinnersFinalists.pdf|title = 2001–2010 Christy Awards Winners & Finalists|date = May 26, 2015|access-date = May 26, 2015|website = The Christy Awards|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120124031909/http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/images/stories/client_pdf/00-10_WinnersFinalists.pdf|archive-date = January 24, 2012}}</ref>

In 2003, Lawhead received an honorary doctorate from the [[University of Nebraska at Kearney]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = University of Nebraska's Presidential Search|url = http://nebraska.edu/recognition-and-awards/honorary-degrees/alphabetical.html|website = nebraska.edu|access-date = May 29, 2015|first = Kosi|last = Sokpa}}</ref>

Lawhead and his wife reside in [[Oxford]], [[UK]]. He has two sons, Ross Lawhead, and Drake Lawhead.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://www.stephenlawhead.com/traditional-publishing|access-date=May 19, 2021|website=Stephen R Lawhead|language=en}}</ref>

== Works ==
=== Adult fiction ===
Many of his books are in series following a common theme:

'''Dragon King trilogy:'''
* ''In the Hall of the Dragon King'' (1982)
* ''The Warlords of Nin'' (1983)
* ''The Sword and the Flame'' (1984)

'''Empyrion Saga:'''
* ''Empyrion I: The Search for Fierra'' (1985)
* ''Empyrion II: The Siege of Dome'' (1986)

'''[[The Pendragon Cycle]]:'''

:* ''Aurelia'' (prequel; forthcoming January 2025)
# ''Taliesin'' (1987)
# ''Merlin'' (1988)
# ''Arthur'' (1989)
# ''Pendragon'' (1994)
# ''Grail'' (1997)
# ''Avalon'' (1999; AKA ''Avalon: The Return of King Arthur'')

'''[[Song of Albion]]:'''
* ''[[The Paradise War]]'' (1991) (Illustrated by [[Rodney Matthews]], [[Daniel Horne]] in 1993, [[Anne Yvonne Gilbert]] in 1998, and [[Peter Holt]] in 2001)
* ''The Silver Hand'' (1992) (Illustrated by [[Anne Yvonne Gilbert]] in 1998)
* ''The Endless Knot'' (1993) (Illustrated by [[Anne Yvonne Gilbert]] in 1998)

'''The Celtic Crusades:'''
* ''The Iron Lance'' (1998)
* ''The Black Rood'' (2000)
* ''The Mystic Rose'' (2001)

'''[[King Raven Trilogy]]:'''
* ''[[King Raven Trilogy|Hood]]'' (2006)
* ''[[King Raven Trilogy|Scarlet]]'' (2007)
* ''[[King Raven Trilogy|Tuck]]'' (2009)

'''Hero''' (With Ross Lawhead):
* ''City of Dreams'' (2003)
* ''Rogue Nation'' (unpublished)
* ''World Without End'' (unpublished)

'''Bright Empires''':
* ''The Skin Map'' (2010)
* ''The Bone House'' (2011)
* ''The Spirit Well'' (2012)
* ''The Shadow Lamp'' (2013)
* ''The Fatal Tree'' (2014)

'''Eirlandia''':
* ''In the Region of the Summer Stars'' (2018)
* ''In the Land of the Everliving'' (2019)
* ''In the Kingdom of All Tomorrows'' (''2020'')

'''Stand-alone novels:'''
* ''Dream Thief'' (1983)
* ''Byzantium'' (1996)
* ''Patrick: Son of Ireland'' (2003)

=== Children's fiction ===
'''The Brown Ears Books:'''
* ''Brown Ears: The Adventures of a Lost-and-Found Rabbit'' (1988)
* ''Brown Ears at Sea: More Adventures of a Lost-and-Found Rabbit'' (1990)

'''The Howard Books'''
* ''Howard Had A Spaceship'' (1986)
* ''Howard Had A Submarine'' (1987)
* ''Howard Had A Hot Air Balloon'' (1988)
* ''Howard Had A Shrinking Machine'' (1988)

'''The Riverbank Series'''
* ''The Tale of Jeremy Vole'' (1990)
* ''The Tale of Timothy Mallard'' (1990)
* ''The Tale of Annabelle Hedgehog'' (1990)

=== Non-fiction ===
* ''The Ultimate College Student Handbook'' (1989; later published as ''The Total Guide to College Life'') – With Alice Lawhead
* ''Rock on Trial: Pop Music and Its Role in Our Lives'' (1989)
* ''Rock of This Age: The Real & Imagined Dangers of Rock Music'' (1987)
* ''Pilgrim's Guide to the New Age'' (1986) – With Alice Lawhead
* ''Judge for Yourself'' (1985) – With Alice Lawhead
* ''The Phoenix Factor: Surviving and Growing Through Personal Crisis'' (1985; later published as ''Up from the Ashes'') – With Karl A. Slaikeu
* ''Turn Back the Night: A Christian Response to Popular Culture'' (1985)
* ''Welcome to the Family: How to Find a Home with Other Believers'' (1982)
* ''Rock Reconsidered: A Christian Looks at Contemporary Music'' (1981)
* ''After You Graduate: A Guide to Life After High School'' (1978)
* ''Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! What to Do When You Can't Make Up Your Mind'' (1978)

=== Books contributed to ===
Lawhead has also contributed essays or chapters to several books. His essay "J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Middle-earth", which describes the impact [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s writings had on him, is featured in the following titles:

* ''More Than Words: Contemporary Writers on the Works That Shaped Them'' (2002) (previously published as ''Reality and the Vision'' (1990) and ''The Classics We've Read, The Difference They've Made'' (1993)) – Compiled by [[Philip Yancey]], edited by James C. Schaap
* ''Tolkien: A Celebration'' (1999) – Edited by [[Joseph Pearce]]

Lawhead has contributed to one fictional compilation, writing a chapter in the serial mystery novel ''Carnage at Christhaven'' (1989 – ed. William Griffin).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.stephenlawhead.com Stephen Lawhead's official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090809103738/http://www.pryrt.com/lawhead/FAQ.html Stephen Lawhead FAQ]
* {{ISFDB name|id=Stephen_R._Lawhead|name=Stephen R. Lawhead}}
* [http://www.fantasyliterature.net/lawheadstephen.html Cover art and Reviews at FantasyLiterature.net]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawhead, Stephen R.}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:American Evangelical writers]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:American fantasy writers]]
[[Category:American historical novelists]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Nebraska]]
[[Category:Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Writers of modern Arthurian fiction]]
[[Category:People from Kearney, Nebraska]]
[[Category:University of Nebraska at Kearney alumni]]