Picture a British storyteller who spun a magical Victorian London filled with clockwork and clairvoyance—meet Natasha Pulley! Born in 1988, this Cambridge native has enchanted readers with her unique blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and intricate human connections. Her debut, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, skyrocketed her to fame, earning a Betty Trask Award and cementing her as a rising star in speculative fiction.
Pulley’s stories aren’t just books—they’re time machines, whisking you to 19th-century Japan, a surreal Soviet city, or a terraformed Mars. With a knack for weaving fate, love, and history, she’s crafted a literary niche that’s as captivating as it is original.
The Making of Natasha Pulley
Born in Cambridge, Natasha Pulley grew up with a love for stories, studying English Literature at New College, Oxford, before earning an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Her wanderlust shaped her writing—living in Tokyo on a Daiwa Scholarship, chasing llamas in Peru, and studying Mandarin in Shanghai. These experiences infused her novels with rich, authentic details, from Japanese culture to Peruvian landscapes. Before writing full-time, she worked at Waterstones and Cambridge University Press, but storytelling was her true calling.
Natasha Pulley’s Unforgettable Stories
Pulley’s debut, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (2015), is a dazzling tale of a telegraphist and a clairvoyant watchmaker in Victorian London, blending steampunk with tender romance. It won a Betty Trask Award and spent much of 2016 on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Its sequel, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (2020), transports readers to a haunted, steampunk Tokyo, showcasing Pulley’s gift for intricate plots and emotional depth.
The Bedlam Stacks (2017) explores 19th-century Peru, where a botanist uncovers magical forests, earning praise for its vivid setting and historical detail. The Kingdoms (2021), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars, dazzles with time manipulation, while The Half Life of Valery K (2022) tackles Soviet secrecy and radiation, inspired by real events in City 40. Her latest, The Mars House (2024), is a sci-fi romance set on a colonized Mars, proving her versatility.
Pulley’s style is a tapestry of lush prose, dark humor, and meticulous research. Her themes—fate, identity, and the collision of science and magic—resonate deeply, making every story a journey of heart and mind.
Why Natasha Pulley Matters
Natasha Pulley has carved a unique space in historical fantasy, blending meticulous research with speculative twists. Her ability to humanize complex characters, from Soviet scientists to Martian refugees, bridges cultures and eras, inviting readers to ponder time and connection. Shortlisted for awards like the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, her work inspires both readers and writers to explore the boundaries of genre.
Her global perspective, drawn from living in Japan, Peru, and China, enriches her narratives, making them a cultural mosaic. Pulley’s growing fanbase eagerly awaits her next release, The Hymn to Dionysus (2025), a reimagining of Greek myth.
- Born: December 4, 1988, Cambridge, England
- Key Works: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The Bedlam Stacks, The Kingdoms, The Mars House
- Awards: Betty Trask Award (2016), shortlisted for Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
Snag The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and dive into Natasha Pulley’s spellbinding world of history and wonder!