Norton, Andre, 1912-2005

Andre Norton ( Alice Mary Norton ) was born February 7, 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio. After an early career as a children’s librarian, Andre Norton turned to full-time writing as her profession, publishing her first novel in 1934 . She legally changed her name to Andre Norton believing that readers of science fiction and fantasy would accept that name better than Alice Mary Norton. She also wrote under the pen names Andrew North and Allen Weston.

Her first science fiction novel, Star Man’s Son, was a great success, launching her into the science fiction and fantasy genre, where she has achieved the most favorable response, although her other novels are also well regarded. She has published over 100 novels, many of which are in series. The Witch World series is her most popular body of work, now numbering over 30 books.

Andre Norton is highly regarded in the science fiction and fantasy community. She has won numerous awards, including the Phoenix Award for overall achievement in science fiction, the Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy Award in 1977 for lifetime achievement, The Nebula Grand Master Award of the SFWA in 1974, for lifetime achievement, the Jules Verne Award in 1984, and a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention in 1998.

Sources: Andre Norton, in: Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, 2nd edition. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2002. (Cited from the online Gale Biography Research Center.) Andre Norton, in: St. James Guide to Science Fiction Writers. 4th edition. Detroit: St. James Press, 1996. (Cited from the online Gale Biography Research Center.) Andre Norton, Contemporary Authors Online, 2004. (Cited from the online Gale Biography Research Center.) Andre Norton: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography, by Roger C. Schlobin and Irene R. Harrison. Framingham, Mass.: NESFA Press, 1994.