Maggie Lawrence

Maggie Lawrence grew up in Melbourne and moved to live on Sydney's lower north shore in 2001. She loves animals and at one time owned a horse, a dog and a cat. She is passionate about environmental issues, and has run her own media campaigns about developments that have concerned her. When she is not cramming her laptop with creative writing, Maggie can be found hanging out with friends at her local café, meditating, bushwalking, singing in a modern choir and sometimes communicating with the whales and dolphins on the Sydney whale-watching boat

Maggie trained in film and television production at the BBC, and has won awards for two of her feature-length screenplays, and for pilot scripts for situation and TV sketch comedy. She has had two short films made: one she wrote, produced and directed that was screened in several international film festivals. She enjoyed a lucrative career as a Senior Advertising copywriter for international agencies in London, Sydney and Melbourne. Agencies included; Ogilvy and Mather; McCann Erickson; J. Walter Thompson; Connell May and Steavenson; Saatchi and Saatchi and M&C Saatchi.

Maggie has written a children’s book ‘An Element of Fun’ for 5 to 8 year olds, that addresses bullying and ego in an entertaining and fun way.

The Fur and Feathers Party is her debut novel (to be published on 6 June, 2021) and was developed from her award-winning screenplay ‘Pup’. The e-book is available for pre-order now on AMAZON.

You can visit Maggie at www.maggielawrence.com

REVIEWS OF MY DEBUT NOVEL 'THE FUR AND FEATHERS PARTY'

ON BOOKTOPIA

Great quirky fun, and plenty of suspense along with humour! ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

A wonderful read for children and adults. You'll never look at your pets the same way again.

By William from Sydney

'QUIRKY AND FUNNY BOOK. A VERY GOOD READ. ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

A very unique story that highlights the need to take care of the environment in a funny and original way. I especially liked that this story represented animals finding a way to express their concerns about the way mankind had been treating the planet, and wanting to bring change, as they are equally affected by what we as humans are doing to the earth.

By Animal Lover

ON BARNES AND NOBLE

WHAT A GREAT READ ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

'I bought this book directly from the author but I enjoyed it so much that when I discovered it was listed here on your site, I wanted to let your customers know what I thought of it. This is a book I could not put down until I finished it. It was highly original, funny and also sad in places, but I loved that it had a happy ending. I especially enjoyed the way the animals had a voice and had found a way to bring awareness to the way mankind had been messing up the planet.'

From Loving Life

HUMOUR AND SUSPENSE IN LAWRENCE'S ANIMAL WORLD ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

Fiction where animals talk: what are your favourites?

The Wind in the Willows, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Watership Down?

They don't come along all that often, certainly not at full book length. The approach is never quite the same. In the Wind in the Willows, the animals talk with human beings quite easily but seem to prefer not to; Watership Down's rabbits talk freely among themselves, indeed across species, but are severely in a different world from the world of men; The Narnians exist in their own world, in which there is converse between humans and animals, but they never cross into our reality, where the stories usually begin and end.

How much explanation does the reader really want for all this? I'd say the best answer is: None at all. The reader soon becomes comfortable with the mystery.

Maggie Lawrence's The Fur and Feathers Party is in happy harmony with this tradition but midway takes an extra step, and it works. The hard used and put upon animals of the F&F Party take the bull by the horns and press into service the best talker they know, a parrot, and soon are slogging away in the human world of politics on level terms. Ms Lawrence manages this transition by simply accepting it, and the reader does too.

From DUBYADAWG

TARGET BOOKS

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A REAL PAGE TURNER ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

'This is a book that would appeal to many age groups not just adults. I enjoyed it because the animal characters had found a way to bring awareness to mankind’s ruining their natural home. It was very original, funny but also heartwarming. It was also sad in places but I loved that it had a happy ending.'

From Loving Life

GOODREADS ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

'Maggie Lawrence, award winning script writer, has made a smash debut in fiction. This first published novel (there are supposed to be more manuscripts ready to go) seems to have just about everything. The heroine, a terrier named Pup, goes through a huge range of experiences, in the city and the country, in Australia and North America.

The tale (and thank God, puns are resisted throughout) of her talking to other animals, reasoning and by and by taking the world of politics by storm, is readable and for story purposes believable, because the central idea of her meeting each crisis with only a dog's information, but with human intelligence, is maintained with great skill. The fact that on the emotional level, where pets and humans are in reality most alike, playing the same game, gives the both the realistic and fantastical elements of the story a strange power.

The comedy, both satire and unashamed slapstick, comes off well and the insight into the emotions of loss, abandonment, rediscovery and fulfillment is enriching. At times I was moved by a parting or a surprise reunion.

It's a huge and welcome bonus that the mystery and suspense and above all the final wrap up are as effective as any I know.'

By William Laing

☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.

'Occasionally I come across a book that grabs me right away and that I cannot put down until I have finished it. The Fur and Feathers Party is one of those novels. The story is highly original and full of funny moments. I found I was laughing out load in places, and shedding a tear at other times. I love the happy ending and this novel did not disappoint me. I enjoyed the way animals were taking charge of saving the environment. It was a quirky, funny and memorable read.'

By Cynthia Bartolo

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