Monica Hughes - Background

Background

Before immigrating to Canada, from China, Monica Hughes lived in many different countries, including Egypt, Scotland, England and Zimbabwe. She was the daughter of Edward Lindsay and Phillis Ince. Both her parents worked at the University of Liverpool, where her father was a mathematician and her mother a biologist. She married Glen Hughes on April 22, 1957 and together they had 4 children. Before becoming a writer, Hughes had many other careers. She was a dress designer in London England, and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe between the years 1948-1949. She was also a bank clerk in 1951, and a laboratory technician from 1952 to 1957. Monica Hughes is known as one of Canada's best writers for children and young adults, having a hard time reaching maturity or adulthood. The central theme in many of her books is science fiction. She is a writer who has written over 35 books for young people. One of her first book was called "Crisis on Conshelf Ten". Hughes attended Edinburgh University from 1942-1943. While in school, Hughes obligations to school were interrupted because of World War II. She joined the Military service, the Women's Royal Naval Service, from the years 1943-1946, cracking German codes. After returning from the war, Hughes went back to school to study Meteorology. When not writing or not in school, Hughes was said to enjoy swimming, walking, gardening and beachcombing. In her school years, her teachers always encouraged her to write and join essay writing competitions. Monica Hughes has repeatedly been called "Canada's finest writer of science fiction for children", by critic Sarah Ellis in the The Horn Book Magazine.