Jessica Townsend

Jessica Townsend (born 18 April 1985 in Caloundra, Queensland) is an Australian author known for the children's fantasy novel series, The Nevermoor series.

Her debut novel Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow won the Book of the Year Award at the Australian Book Industry Awards, and was shortlisted for the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards' Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature. At the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, Nevermoor won both the Premier's Award for best overall published work and the Children's Award. It also won the 2018 Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Younger Fiction. Film rights to Nevermoor were sold to 20th Century Fox in 2016. Screenwriter Drew Goddard has been selected to adapt the screenplay.

Biography Jessica Townsend grew up in Queensland, Australia. She wrote her first story at the age of 7, and it was published in a local library newsletter. Townsend began writing what would become the first Nevermoor book the year she left high school. and at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo for 5 years, including as an editor of its children's magazine Crikey! Townsend has stated that she has written plots for nine books in the series. and the Harry Potter series. and she has cited Rowling as a major influence, Film influences include Willow and Return to Oz. Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow (2025)