Nicci French
Nicci French is the pseudonym of English husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard (born 10 June 1958) and Sean French (born 28 May 1959), who write psychological thrillers together. Personal lives Nicci Gerrard and Sean French were married in 1990. Since 1999 they have lived in Suffolk in East Anglia, England. Both have studied English literature at Oxford University. The couple have two daughters, Hadley and Molly, and Gerrard has two children from her first marriage, Edgar and Anna. Biography Nicci Gerrard Nicola 'Nicci' Gerrard was born on 10 June 1958. She grew up in Worcestershire, together with her two sisters and her brother. She was educated at The Alice Ottley School in Worcester. She then studied English literature at Oxford University and then an MPhil at Sheffield University in 1986. She went on to teach literature in Los Angeles and London. She founded a women's magazine, Women's Review, before becoming a freelance journalist. During that time she married and had two children. Following the failure of this first marriage, she met Sean French whilst working as editor for the New Statesman where French wrote a weekly column, but left when she was offered another job at The Observer. In November 2014 her father John Gerrard died, his dementia having deteriorated significantly during a five-week stay in hospital for an unrelated problem and with very restricted visiting by his family. As a result of this Gerrard launched John's Campaign for extended visiting rights for carers of patients with dementia. Since February 2019, Gerrard has supported the 'Save Our Libraries Essex' (SOLE) campaign, speaking out against the proposed closures of libraries by Essex County Council. Sean French Julian Sean French was born on 28 May 1959 in Bristol, the son of Philip French, a radio producer and film critic, and his Swedish-born wife Kersti (née Molin). He was, like his two younger brothers Patrick and Karl, educated at William Ellis secondary school in north London before studying English literature at Oxford University. The couple never met while there. While at Oxford University, French won a young writers contest organised by Vogue, and subsequently became a journalist. In 1987 he gained his first column and until the end of 2000 he wrote a column for the New Statesman. His solo novel Start from Here was published in 2004. Works as Nicci French The Memory Game (1997) The Safe House (1998) Killing Me Softly (1999) Beneath the Skin (2000) The Red Room (2001) The People Who Went Away (2001), a short story published as a novella for promotional purposes Grieve (2002), a short story published in Dutch as Verlies on the occasion of Thriller Month (Maand van het Spannende Boek). Land of the Living (2003) Secret Smile (2003), basis of British TV series Secret Smile. Catch Me When I Fall (2005) Losing You (2006) Until It's Over (2007) Speaking Ill of the Dead (2008), a short story published for promotional purposes What to Do When Someone Dies (2008) Complicit (2009), published in the United States