Picture a British storyteller who swapped London’s hustle for Mallorca’s sun-drenched hills, weaving tales of adventure and mystery—meet Anna Nicholas! Born in 1961, this author, adventurer, and former PR maven has lived a life as vibrant as her books. From judging Guinness World Records to trekking remote jungles, Nicholas’s journey fuels her witty travel memoirs and gripping Mallorca-based crime novels.
Now splitting her time between Mallorca and London, she’s become the island’s literary ambassador, charming readers with her humor and heart. Ready to dive into her world? Let’s explore the life and works of this remarkable storyteller.
The Making of Anna Nicholas
Born in Rochester, Kent, Anna Nicholas grew up with Irish, Scottish, and Welsh roots, her childhood brimming with unconventional travels across Eastern Europe. These trips, taken in a battered car with her mother and aunts, sparked a lifelong love for adventure. After studying Classics and English Literature at Leeds University, she dove into PR, working with Princess Diana at Help the Aged and later founding her own luxury travel agency, ANA Communications. Her global exploits, from adjudicating Guinness World Records to joining explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell on expeditions, shaped her storytelling flair.
Anna Nicholas’s Unforgettable Stories
Nicholas’s writing is a love letter to Mallorca, where she’s lived for over two decades. Her six-book travel memoir series, starting with A Lizard in My Luggage, chronicles her family’s move from London to rural Sóller Valley. With titles like Cat on a Hot Tiled Roof and Goats from a Small Island, these books blend humor, cultural insights, and vivid descriptions of island life, selling over 70,000 copies. Her seventh memoir, Peacocks in Paradise, arrived in 2021, cementing her as Mallorca’s go-to storyteller.
In 2019, Nicholas pivoted to crime fiction with The Devil’s Horn, launching the Isabel Flores Mallorcan Mystery series. Featuring feisty sleuth Isabel Flores Montserrat, a former detective turned holiday rentals agent, the series (including Haunted Magpie and Fallen Butterfly) mixes cozy mystery vibes with Mallorca’s scenic charm. Her prose sparkles with gentle humor, rich settings, and a knack for capturing human quirks, making her mysteries as inviting as her memoirs.
Whether exploring Mallorca’s traditions or unraveling crimes, Nicholas’s style is observational and accessible, drawing readers into her sunlit world. Her journalistic background—she’s written for the Financial Times, Telegraph, and Majorca Daily Bulletin—lends authenticity to her tales.
Why Anna Nicholas Matters
Anna Nicholas is more than an author; she’s a cultural bridge, introducing Mallorca’s soul to the world. Her travel memoirs have lured countless visitors to the island, earning her the 2017 Siurell de Plata award from the Balearic Government for promoting Mallorcan values. Her mysteries, meanwhile, offer a fresh take on the cozy crime genre, blending local flavor with universal appeal. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a marathon runner who’s raced alongside lions, Nicholas inspires readers to embrace adventure and curiosity.
- Born: 1961, Rochester, Kent
- Key Works: A Lizard in My Luggage, The Devil’s Horn, Peacocks in Paradise
- Awards: Siurell de Plata 2017
- Fun Fact: She once helped deliver a grand piano to a remote tribe in Guyana!
Snag A Lizard in My Luggage or The Devil’s Horn and dive into Anna Nicholas’s sun-soaked, suspense-filled world!