Pauline Ashwell

Who is Pauline Ashwell?

Pauline Ashwell is the best known pseudonym of British science fiction author Pauline Whitby. She has also written under the names Paul Ashwell and Paul Ash.

Ashwell published her first story, "Invasion from Venus", when she was only 14 years old. It appeared in the July 1942 issue of an obscure British science fiction magazine, Yankee Science Fiction, under the name Paul Ashwell.

She was discovered by science fiction editor John W. Campbell, who published her "debut" story, "Unwillingly to School", under the name Pauline Ashwell in the January 1958 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. She was nominated for the Hugo Awards for Best New Author and Best Novelette. The year 1958 was the first time she and other female nominees contended for Hugo Awards. That year, Campbell also published her story "Big Sword" in the October 1958 of Astounding under the name Paul Ash. Her third story for Campbell was "The Lost Kafoozalum", again under the name Pauline Ashwell, published in the October 1960 issue of Analog Science Fact & Fiction. This story was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story. Though she lost to Poul Anderson's "The Longest Voyage", Richard A.