Dr Judith Heneghan is a British author and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Winchester. Best known for her contributions to children's literature and adult fiction, she is the author of numerous novels, including Stonecipher (2005) and Diver Bill (2018), as well as numerous non-fiction books. Her most recent novel, Birdeye (2024), set in the Catskill Mountains, explores the enduring complexities of the hippie dream.
Judith Heneghan was born in Hampshire, the third of four children. Judith's childhood included memorable family visits to upstate New York. In 1973, her family lived for nine months in Woodstock and Kingston, near the Catskills, where she observed the hippie culture and tried to fit in by speaking with an American accent and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school.
Back in Hampshire, she attended a comprehensive school in Southampton before studying history at the University of York, which she describes as "telling stories from unfamiliar perspectives".
After university, Judith spent two years living in a community for people with learning disabilities near Dover, a formative experience that influenced her outlook. She then trained as a secretary as a route into publishing, although she admits to being a "lousy secretary". However, she found her passion in editing, making her a commissioning editor for Hodder's Teach Yourself series.
Following her marriage and becoming the "trailing spouse" of a journalist, Judith lived in Kyiv, Moscow and Islamabad, raising four children. Returning to Hampshire, she turned to children's non-fiction and completed an MA in Creative Writing.
She joined the University of Winchester in 2006, becoming programme leader for the MA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and later the MA in Creative Writing. In 2018, she earned her Doctorate in Creative Arts. She was also director of the Winchester Writers' Festival for six years.
Judith's first adult novel, Snegurochka (2019), set in post-Soviet Kyiv, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards in 2020.
Birdeye (2024), her second adult novel, is set in the Catskills and reflects her early experiences there. The book tells the story of Liv, a 67-year-old founder of the once-famous Birdeye Colony, struggling with its decline. When a stranger, Conor, arrives, Liv faces unexpected revelations from her oldest friends. As secrets are revealed, she must confront the cost of the choices made in the name of tolerance and freedom.
Judith Heneghan lives in Winchester.
Photo credit: Paul Ayling
Judith Heneghan was born in Hampshire, the third of four children. Judith's childhood included memorable family visits to upstate New York. In 1973, her family lived for nine months in Woodstock and Kingston, near the Catskills, where she observed the hippie culture and tried to fit in by speaking with an American accent and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school.
Back in Hampshire, she attended a comprehensive school in Southampton before studying history at the University of York, which she describes as "telling stories from unfamiliar perspectives".
After university, Judith spent two years living in a community for people with learning disabilities near Dover, a formative experience that influenced her outlook. She then trained as a secretary as a route into publishing, although she admits to being a "lousy secretary". However, she found her passion in editing, making her a commissioning editor for Hodder's Teach Yourself series.
Following her marriage and becoming the "trailing spouse" of a journalist, Judith lived in Kyiv, Moscow and Islamabad, raising four children. Returning to Hampshire, she turned to children's non-fiction and completed an MA in Creative Writing.
She joined the University of Winchester in 2006, becoming programme leader for the MA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and later the MA in Creative Writing. In 2018, she earned her Doctorate in Creative Arts. She was also director of the Winchester Writers' Festival for six years.
Judith's first adult novel, Snegurochka (2019), set in post-Soviet Kyiv, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards in 2020.
Birdeye (2024), her second adult novel, is set in the Catskills and reflects her early experiences there. The book tells the story of Liv, a 67-year-old founder of the once-famous Birdeye Colony, struggling with its decline. When a stranger, Conor, arrives, Liv faces unexpected revelations from her oldest friends. As secrets are revealed, she must confront the cost of the choices made in the name of tolerance and freedom.
Judith Heneghan lives in Winchester.
Photo credit: Paul Ayling
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