Vanessa Harbour
Vanessa Harbour is a writer who happens to be disabled and an academic who loves words and believes in living life to the full, regardless of what life throws at her. In particular, she likes to weave her words into stories for children and young adults, providing moments of hope in a difficult world. When she was growing up she wanted to be either a doctor or writer. Now she is a Doctor of Creative Writing, so has the best of both worlds.
Vanessa Harbour is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Winchester and is also Academic & Diversity Consultant and an Editor at the Golden Egg Academy.
Flight is her debut novel and was published by Firefly in 2018. It re-imagines the true story of the Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School's hidden rural stables in rural Austria. Hearing that Hitler intended on seizing the horses for himself, the groom at the head of the stable led the stallions to safety across the mountains at enormous peril to himself and the horses themselves. Flight is their story.
Vanessa Harbour is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Winchester and is also Academic & Diversity Consultant and an Editor at the Golden Egg Academy.
Flight is her debut novel and was published by Firefly in 2018. It re-imagines the true story of the Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School's hidden rural stables in rural Austria. Hearing that Hitler intended on seizing the horses for himself, the groom at the head of the stable led the stallions to safety across the mountains at enormous peril to himself and the horses themselves. Flight is their story.
Praise for Flight:
Longlisted for Branford Boase Award
Shortlisted for the Sheffield Children's Award
New Statesman's Best Children’s Books of Summer 2018
South Wales Evening Post Children's Book of the Week
'I absolutely love this book! It's a stunningly good adventure story with all the big heart, sharp style and fast pace of a classic children's novel.'
- Amanda Craig
‘You know from the first page that you are in the hands of a great storyteller’
- James Nicol
‘An exciting addition to the war story canon.’
- Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller
‘A powerful, page-turning, unforgettable adventure... I loved it!’
- Cathy Cassidy
‘the perfect ingredients of horses, an exciting and engaging plot, believable characters and that little sprinkle of magic writing which I know will make it a huge success.’
- Lucy Coats
‘Beautifully captures the unique relationship that can be shared between people and horses and shows how bravery and standing up for what's right can save those who have no choice. This is enchanting storytelling with character at the heart, in a historic setting, with timeless values, and very much reminiscent of the classic assuredness of Morpurgo.’
- Vashti Hardy
Longlisted for Branford Boase Award
Shortlisted for the Sheffield Children's Award
New Statesman's Best Children’s Books of Summer 2018
South Wales Evening Post Children's Book of the Week
'I absolutely love this book! It's a stunningly good adventure story with all the big heart, sharp style and fast pace of a classic children's novel.'
- Amanda Craig
‘You know from the first page that you are in the hands of a great storyteller’
- James Nicol
‘An exciting addition to the war story canon.’
- Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller
‘A powerful, page-turning, unforgettable adventure... I loved it!’
- Cathy Cassidy
‘the perfect ingredients of horses, an exciting and engaging plot, believable characters and that little sprinkle of magic writing which I know will make it a huge success.’
- Lucy Coats
‘Beautifully captures the unique relationship that can be shared between people and horses and shows how bravery and standing up for what's right can save those who have no choice. This is enchanting storytelling with character at the heart, in a historic setting, with timeless values, and very much reminiscent of the classic assuredness of Morpurgo.’
- Vashti Hardy
