We at The Alchemy Press are saddened by the death of Tanith Lee (she passed away last Sunday). Her short story “The Mermaid” featured in The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic 2, edited by Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber. In his review of the book in Interzone, Ian Hunter describes this story as “…beautifully written and quite, quite shudderingly horrible.” Tanith was interviewed by us last September:
Tell us a little about yourself and your writing. How long have you been writing and how did you get started?
I’ve been writing since the age of 9 – about 57 years. Being slightly dyslexic (something unrecognised in my childhood) the school couldn’t teach me how to read. My father stepped in and taught me in a few months. About a year later, by then reading as a locust feeds, I began – as if logically – to write.
We’ve met Tanith several times over the years. She was a lovely person, always charming and supportive. She is survived by her husband John Kaiine.