In a 1998 interview with Locus magazine Tanith Lee said that everyone is a book and we all have a story to tell and everyone is important. Tanith Lee looked at herself as a storyteller and she did a great job entertaining people with her stories. On May 24th 2015 Tanith Lee passed away at the age of 67 after a long illness. Her fans will remember her for her 90 books and 300 short stories that she wrote throughout her life.
I admit to not being to familiar with Tanith’s work but as I was reading the articles that described her career, I began to admire this woman. She was born in 1947, her parents were professional dancers and she had a love of Weird Fiction and Science Fiction stories. This was despite the fact that she couldn’t read until she was eight years old due to undiagnosed dyslexia. This didn’t stop her from being an avid reader and publishing her first story at the age of 21.
From there she went on to publish several stories in the Horror, Science Fiction and Children’s Literature genres. She also won several awards including The Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award and The World Fantasy Convention Lifetime Achievement award. More important than winning awards, she produced a body of work that entertained legions of fans and she got children to read and write by producing work for a young audience that didn’t talk down to them. Tanith Lee had a passion for writing and storytelling and she left behind several literary masterpieces that people will enjoy for years to come.
I wanted to close out this article with a beautiful poem that was put up at http://www.tanith-lee.com/. If you wan’t to find out more about her work and life check out: http://www.daughterofthenight.com/
19-9-1947 – 24-5-2015
Though we come and go, and pass into the shadows, where we leave
behind us stories told – on paper, on the wings of butterflies, on the
wind, on the hearts of others – there we are remembered, there we work
magic and great change – passing on the fire like a torch – forever
and forever. Till the sky falls, and all things are flawless and need
no words at all.
Tanith Lee
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