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Hi there.
I’m Jean Swan, fantasy author from South-Eastern Australia. When not writing or working, you’ll find me anywhere there's beach or snow, hanging with my gang of nieces and godchildren, or in the garden trying to stay on top of the weeds. And reading, of course.
Get in touch
If you love character-focused books, fleshed-out fantasy worlds, and stories that make you feel things, pour a cuppa and pull up your comfiest chair. Let's talk!
My story
I listen to stories for a living. Stories of life in all its gritty wonder. But long before that, I wove stories of my own.
As a girl, my little brother and I made up intricate fantasy worlds for our games. We devised full character lists with traits, artwork, backstories, and detailed maps and place names. We would while away hours in the garden or on our grandparents’ farm lost in pure imagination.
As I got older, these stories found themselves written properly on paper. In grade three I even won a story competition at school (yep, I peaked early). Since then, I’ve always been writing something, but in the last few years it has taken hold of me in a whole new way, and now I’ve got some books to show for it!
Us fantasy readers love to lose ourselves in made-up worlds, where everything is different and we can forget about reality for a bit. But I actually think the reason we love fantasy is because we find ourselves in those worlds; in characters we love (or love to hate), and in reckoning with the full scope of what it is to be human. Even in the midst of cataclysmic events, of gods and magic and all that is epic about the genre, these are just stories about people.
At the core of it, that’s what I love about writing. It’s about humanity. It’s spiritual. We get to face the darkest parts of ourselves as well as see our greatest potential. And, I suppose cool new worlds and magic and mystery are pretty fun, too.
That’s what my books are about. I hope they give your mind a chance to run around the garden like I did as a kid.
Love Jean
As a girl, my little brother and I made up intricate fantasy worlds for our games. We devised full character lists with traits, artwork, backstories, and detailed maps and place names. We would while away hours in the garden or on our grandparents’ farm lost in pure imagination.
As I got older, these stories found themselves written properly on paper. In grade three I even won a story competition at school (yep, I peaked early). Since then, I’ve always been writing something, but in the last few years it has taken hold of me in a whole new way, and now I’ve got some books to show for it!
Us fantasy readers love to lose ourselves in made-up worlds, where everything is different and we can forget about reality for a bit. But I actually think the reason we love fantasy is because we find ourselves in those worlds; in characters we love (or love to hate), and in reckoning with the full scope of what it is to be human. Even in the midst of cataclysmic events, of gods and magic and all that is epic about the genre, these are just stories about people.
At the core of it, that’s what I love about writing. It’s about humanity. It’s spiritual. We get to face the darkest parts of ourselves as well as see our greatest potential. And, I suppose cool new worlds and magic and mystery are pretty fun, too.
That’s what my books are about. I hope they give your mind a chance to run around the garden like I did as a kid.
Love Jean