William Hussey (writer)

William Hussey
Hussey in 2022
Born (1977-07-15) 15 July 1977
Hounslow, Greater London, England
Other nameBill Hussey
Education
Years active2008–present

William Hussey (born 15 July 1977) is an English author of horror, crime, thrillers and LGBTQIA+ YA novels. His novels include Hideous Beauty (2020) and The Outrage (2021), the Killing Jericho (2023–2025) trilogy and The Boy I Love (2025).

Early life and education

Hussey was born in Hounslow, West London.[1] His father was from the Traveller community and a member of the Showmen's Guild; his family had been active on fairgrounds for at least 200 years. Hussey lived a "seasonally peripatetic" lifestyle around London and the South East until age 12, when his family settled in Skegness, Lincolnshire.[2][3]

After graduating from university, Hussey pursued law at a firm in North Yorkshire. He quit and went on to graduate with a Master of Arts (MA) in Creative Writing from Sheffield Hallam University.[2]

Career

Under the name Bill Hussey, he published his debut and second novels Through a Glass, Darkly and The Absence in 2008 and 2009 respectively.[4][5] Announced in 2009, Oxford University Press acquired the rights to publish Hussey's Witchfinder trilogy, starting with Dawn of the Demontide in 2010.[6][7] The standalone novels Haunted, The Nightmare Eater and Jekyll's Mirror followed.

Hussey returned in 2020 with the publication of Hideous Beauty, a young adult (YA) romance novel, via Usborne Books.[8] Hideous Beauty was shortlisted for a CrimeFest Award and a Diverse Book Award. His dystopian YA novel The Outrage was published in 2021[9] and also shortlisted for a CrimeFest Award.

Via a three-book deal in 2022, Zaffre (a Bonnier Books imprint) acquired the rights to publish Hussey's adult thriller Killing Jericho in 2023,[10] while he reunited with Usborne Books for the publication of YA rom com Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts.[11] Killing Jericho won the Fingerprint Award for Genre-Busting Crime Book of the Year and was shortlisted for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Polari Prize. The third installment in the Killing Jericho trilogy titled Burying Jericho was longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.

Hussey moved to Andersen Press in 2024 for the publication of The Boy I Love in 2025, a World War I romance.[12]The Boy I Love was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal[13] and the YA Book Prize.

Personal life

Hussey is gay.[14] He lives with his partner Chris.[2]

Publications

Witchfinder

  • Dawn of the Demontide. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2010. ISBN 978-0-19-273190-6. OCLC 605930803.
  • Gallows at Twilight. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2011. ISBN 978-0-19-273191-3. OCLC 701555781.
  • The Last Nightfall. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2011. ISBN 978-0-19-273192-0. OCLC 751711528.

Killing Jericho

  • Killing Jericho. London: Zaffre. 2023. ISBN 9781804181171.
  • Jericho's Dead. London: Zaffre. 2024. ISBN 9781804181652.
  • Burying Jericho. London. 2025. ISBN 9781804181669.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Standalone novels

  • Through a Glass, Darkly (2008)
  • The Absence (2009)
  • Haunted. Oxford University Press. 2013. ISBN 978-0-19-273250-7. OCLC 868158844.
  • The Nightmare Eater. London. 2013. ISBN 978-1-4451-2311-0. OCLC 852807691.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Jekyll's Mirror. Oxford. 2015. ISBN 978-0-19-273251-4. OCLC 953453498.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Hideous Beauty. London: Usborne. 2020. ISBN 9781474966177.
  • The Outrage. London: Usborne. 2021. ISBN 9781474966184.
  • Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts. London: Usborne. 2023. ISBN 9781803700038.
  • The Boy I Love. London: Andersen Press. 2025. ISBN 9781839134821.

Short stories

  • "Turn Her Face to the Wall" (2013)

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2021 CrimeFest Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults Hideous Beauty Shortlisted [1]
Diverse Book Awards Young Adult Shortlisted [15]
2022 CrimeFest Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults The Outrage Shortlisted [1]
2024 Fingerprint Awards Genre-Busting Crime Book of the Year Killing Jericho Won [16]
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Shortlisted [17]
Polari Prize Book of the Year Shortlisted [18]
2026 Crime Writers' Association (CWA) Awards Steel Dagger Burying Jericho Longlisted [19]
Carnegie Medal The Boy I Love Shortlisted [20][13]
YA Book Prize Pending

References

  1. 1 2 3 "William Hussey". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Nixon, Matt (29 May 2025). "I grew up in a travelling fairground family – it taught me these 3 things". Daily Express. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Zaffre acquires Hussey's 'helter-skelter' thriller debut introducing crime fiction's first Traveller detective". Bonnier Books. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Nelder, Geoff (7 July 2008). "A review of Through A Glass, Darkly by Bill Hussey". Compulsive Reader. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Sardina, Martel (11 April 2009). "The Absence / Bill Hussey". Dark Scribe. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Allen, Katie (3 September 2009). "OUP pushes lead times for Witchfinder". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Norfolk, Pam (27 January 2011). "Book review: Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight by William Hussey". Lancaster Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Hideous Beauty: An interview with William Hussey". The Reading Realm. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Fox, Geoff (22 September 2021). "The Outrage". Books for Keeps. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Brown, Lauren (9 June 2022). "Zaffre snaps up Hussey's debut adult thriller in three-book deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Comerford, Ruth (10 July 2022). "Usborne lands YA zombie rom-com from Hussey". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Fraser, Katie (30 July 2024). "Andersen Press signs William Hussey 'heart-rending wartime love story'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 "William Hussey's novel is shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal". Great British Life. 13 May 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Simons, Roxy (13 March 2025). "'As a gay author I know how LGBTQ+ fiction can change queer lives, we need to keep investing in it'". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Norris, Susanne (20 September 2021). "The shortlist for The Diverse Book Awards has been announced". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Maz Evans and William Hussey win at the 2024 Fingerprint Awards". DHA. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  17. ↑ Palmer, Andrew (2024). "Meeting A Theakston Old Peculier Shortlisted Crime Author: William Hussey". Chimeo. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  18. ↑ Creamer, Ella (30 September 2024). "Polari prize shortlists include Munroe Bergdorf, Jon Ransom and Lex Croucher". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  19. ↑ Mitchell, Erin (16 April 2026). "Crime Writers' Association Announces 2026 Dagger Awards Longlists". Crimespree. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Carnegie Medal 2026 shortlists released". Books+Publishing. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
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