Dunedin born Juliet Marillier has jointly won the 2008 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Young Adult novel for Cybele's Secret.

The Sir Julius Vogel awards are fan voted awards for various endeavours in the science fiction, fantasy or horror fields, and are administrated by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand.

Juliet Marillier is the author of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Sevenwaters Trilogy, as well as Wolfskin and Foxmask, and the award-winning Bridei Chronicles.

Cybele's Secret is her second novel for young adults. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, Juliet graduated from Otago University with a BA in languages and an honours degree in music, and has had a varied career which includes lecturing in music history, professional singing, choral conducting and assessing tax returns. Juliet now lives in a hundred-year-old cottage near the river in Perth, where she writes full-time.

Juliet was first equal for this award with another very talented New Zealander, Hastings-based Anna Mackenzie for The Sea-wreck Stranger (Longacre Press) .