INFO
| Name | Nalini Singh (she/her) |
| Born | 1977 |
| Country of Birth | Fiji |
| Place of Residence | Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland |
| Ethnicities | Indo-Fijian |
| Artform | Literature |
| Decades Active | 2000s, 2010s, 2020s |
ABOUT
Nalini Singh is a New York Times-bestselling author who writes across the paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and thriller genres.
Born in Fiji in 1977, Singh moved to Tamaki Makaurau with her family at 10 years old. Before becoming a full-time writer, Singh worked as a lawyer, a librarian, an English teacher, a bank temp, and a candy factory general hand.
While the majority of Singh’s works are novels, she also writes novellas and short stories. Her work includes the bestselling series Psy/Changeling and Guild Hunter: the former is a paranormal romance series set in a future where humans are caught in a power struggle between Psy (who have mental superpowers) and Changelings (who can shapeshift into animals), while Guild Hunter is a fantasy romance set in New York, revolving around powerful archangels, vampires, and guild hunters.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said her approach to world-building came from trying to answer the ‘what if?’ question i.e. “What if we did have psychic abilities?” or “What if we did live under the ocean?” For Singh’s romance writing, she has said, “It allows me so much freedom in the difficult journeys on which I take my characters. Each happy ending is unique to those characters too--some are softer and gentler, while others are bruised and battered, but the hope? It's always, always there and it's what makes romance such a beautiful genre.”
Singh has sold more than 7 million books worldwide and her work has been translated into over 20 languages. 30 of Singh’s novels have made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. As of 2023, Singh has written 66 works, which include 5 book series. Most recently, crime thriller Quiet in Her Bones (2022) was a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Awards and has been optioned for the screen by Showtime Networks.
Her commercial success is, in part, due to the large volume of books she has written and how frequently she releases them. Singh wrote 10 books before successfully selling Desert Warrior (2003) to publisher Silhouette Desire at age 25. She has since consistently released at least one publication every year, often putting out three works in the same calendar year. She is praised for staying “beautifully faithful to her own mythology” throughout her vast number of works. Singh is very active on her blog and regularly releases free short stories through her website and newsletter. She is also an avid traveller and some of the fictional locations in her books have been inspired by places she has visited.
Singh holds a LLB and a BA in English Literature from the University of Auckland. She currently lives in Tāmaki Makaurau.
LINKS
Key works / presentations
2022 — Quiet in Her Bones
2017 — Silver Silence
2015 — Rock Hard
2013 — Heart of Obsidian
2013 — Wild Invitation
2009 — Angels' Blood
2006 — Slave to Sensation
2003 — Desert Warrior
Key awards
2017 — RT Career Achievement Award in Paranormal Romance
2017 — Australian Romance Readers Award: Favorite Continuing Romance Series
2014 — Love Letter Awards (Germany): Favorite Author and Favorite Paranormal/Fantasy
2012 — Der Leserpreis readers’ choice award (fantasy/science fiction category) (Lockruf des Verlangens)
2009 — Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novella / Novelette (Stroke of Enticement)
2008 — Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novella / Novelette (Beat of Temptation)