Mary Nichols
Mary Nichols is a British author born in 1931 in Singapore to a Dutch South African father and an English mother. Her family's move to England when she was three years old significantly influenced her passion for language, as her father emphasized precision in English usage. From a young age, Nichols aspired to be a writer, penning her first novel at fifteen, although it was initially rejected. Throughout her early adult life, she balanced writing with raising her three children and working in various administrative roles.
Nichols found renewed motivation to write after joining the Cambridge Writers' Circle, which led to her first published novel, "End of Queen Street," in 1981. She became well-known for both contemporary and historical romance novels, the latter inspired by her grandmother's tales of Victorian life. Her works are characterized by engaging plots and well-developed characters, contributing to her reputation as a memorable storyteller. After a career change in the 1980s, she retired from her professional roles to focus on writing, reading, and enjoying her family, while also participating in community talks. Nichols' journey reflects resilience and a deep passion for storytelling that continues to flourish in her retirement.
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Subject Terms
Mary Nichols
Writer
- Born: 1931
- Birthplace: Singapore
Biography
Mary Nichols was born in 1931 in Singapore to a Dutch South African father and an English mother. The family moved to England when she was three, and Nichols credits her father for her love of language. As a non-native speaker of English, her father was very precise in his use of the language and would not tolerate sloppiness in written or spoken form. Nichols learned to read at an early age and read everything she could, including the classics. By the time she was nine or ten years old, Nichols had decided to become a writer. She wrote her first novel at age fifteen and sent the manuscript to the editor of a monthly magazine. The novel was rejected, but the editor did encourage Nichols to start with short stories and write about what she knew.
After finishing her education and marrying at age eighteen, Nichols had three children. Although she wrote when she found time, Nichols did not find a publisher until after all of her children were in school. Nichols credits joining the Cambridge Writers’ Circle with renewing her desire to write. While writing and selling articles and short stories in magazines and periodicals, Nichols also worked as a school secretary and as an industrial editor, editing a house journal. She worked on her novels as well, even though the early ones were rejected. Her first published novel, a contemporary romance entitled End of Queen Street, appeared in 1981.
After finishing nine more novels in five years, Nichols began writing historical novels, encouraged by her love of her grandmother’s stories of life in Victorian times. Her first historical novel, In Love and War,was published in 1986 by Mills and Boon, and she became a regular writer for their historical series. In addition to contemporary and historical romance novels, Nichols also writes Regency romances. Her novels have been called memorable, enjoyable, appealing, and well paced, with interesting plots, snappy dialogue, and well-rounded characters.
By 1983, Nichols underwent a career change and worked for a company producing a computerized database. While at the company, Nichols became the manager of the information services department before retiring after eight years. She then began producing a weekly magazine, for which she edited, proofread, laid out pages for the printer, and wrote many of the articles. Now retired from outside work, Nichols spends her time writing, reading, doing research, playing golf, and gardening. In addition to enjoying her children and grandchildren, she occasionally gives talks to groups and societies near her home in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in eastern England.