Stella Duffy

Duffy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts.

On 18 April 2015, Duffy spoke at one of the early meetings of a new political party, the Women's Equality Party.

Duffy has written sixteen novels – nine literary novels published by Virago and Sceptre, and five crime novels in the Saz Martin series, published by Serpent's Tail. In 2018 HarperCollins Publishers released Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy. The book was started by Marsh during World War II, but abandoned. Working with just the book's title, first three chapters and some notes—but no idea of the plot or motive of the villain—Duffy completed the novel, which has received widespread praise for its authenticity and seamless transition between the two authors' work.

CWA Short Story Dagger Award 2013 for "Come Away With Me" (Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries)

She directed Murder, Marple and Me for the Gilded Balloon (Edinburgh 2012 and tour 2013), Cell Sell for the National Youth Theatre at the Soho Theatre; Kikia te Poa (Matthew Saville), Precious Things (company devised) at the Pacific Playhouse, Skin Tight (Gary Henderson (playwright)) at the Pleasance Islington and Riverside Studios, My Inner Orc at the Pleasance, TaniwhaThames at OvalHouse Theatre. Ordinary Darkness at Hen and Chickens – all for Shaky Isles; and The Seduction of Ms Sarah Hart (Caron Pascoe) at The Oval for Kindred Spirits.

Stonewall Writer of the Year 2010 for "Theodora, Actress, Empress, Whore"

Duffy has written ten plays, including The Book of Ruth (and Naomi) for the Bush Theatre's inaugural Sixty Six Books set of plays, an adaptation of Medea (Steam Industry at The Scoop 2009, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh 2011), Prime Resident (NYT, Soho Theatre 2007), Immaculate Conceit (NYT, Lyric Hammesmith 2003) The Hand (Gay Sweatshop 1996), her solo shows Breaststrokes (BAC 2004) and The Tedious Predictability of Falling In Love (The Oval 1990)

She also wrote and presented a documentary in 2008 for the BBC's Time Shift strand called How to Write a Mills and Boon.

Stonewall Writer of the Year 2008 for "The Room of Lost Things"

She has also written over sixty short stories, ten plays, and many feature articles and reviews. With Lauren Henderson she co-edited the fiction anthology Tart Noir (2002). Her own short story in that collection, Martha Grace, was awarded the 2002 Crime Writers' Association's Macallan Short Story Dagger. Singling out the Couples was shortlisted for the 1999 James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award. State of Happiness was longlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize, as was The Room of Lost Things in 2008. She adapted the film script of State of Happiness for Fiesta Productions. The first novel in her Saz Martin series, Calendar Girl, was voted fifth equal in the 2007 international poll The Big Gay Read. She won Stonewall Writer of the Year 2008 for The Room of Lost Things and in 2010 for Theodora, Actress, Empress, Whore.

CWA Short Story Dagger Award 2002 for "Martha Grace" (Tart Noir)

On screen, she appeared in a 1997 episode of ITV police procedural series The Bill the 2001 movie Absolution.

As a stage performer, she is an associate artist with Improbable, has been a member of the comedy improvisation company Spontaneous Combustion since 1988 and has guested with The Comedy Store Players. She has performed her solo show Breaststrokes (Time Out and The Guardian Critic's Choice) in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin, York, and Amsterdam.

Stella Frances Silas Duffy OBE (born 2 March 1963) is a writer and theatremaker. Born in London, she spent her childhood in New Zealand before returning to the UK.