Dr Kate Forsyth is an award-winning author, poet, and storyteller. She wrote her first novel aged seven and has now sold more than a million books worldwide. She is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring Atkinson, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia.
Her most recent novel is The Crimson Thread, a reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ myth set in Crete during the Nazi invasion and occupation of World War II, which The Washington Review called it ‘a riveting tale of courage, love, and betrayal.
Other historical novels include Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ told in the voices of four women of the Pre-Raphaelite circle of artists and poets; The Wild Girl, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales which was named Most Memorable Love Story of 2013; and Bitter Greens, a retelling of ‘Rapunzel’ which won the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical Fiction.
Kate’s non-fiction books include Searching for Charlotte: The Fascinating Story of Australia’s First Children’s Author, co-written by her sister Belinda Murrell, with the assistance of the Nancy Keesing Fellowship. It was longlisted for the 2021 Readings Non-Fiction Prize and the Indie Book Awards, and was Commended by the Society of Women Writers. Her collection of essays, The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower, won the Aurealis Convenors’ Award for Excellence in 2016 and the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism in 2017.
Books for children include the Long-Lost Fairy-Tales collection, illustrated by Lorena Carrington. The first in the series, Vasilisa the Wise & Other Tales of Brave Young Women, won a silver medal in the 2018 US Readers Favorite Book awards. Kate has also published a book of art & poetry in collaboration with the Archibald-Prize-winning artist Wendy Sharpe. Other collaborations include The Silver Well, co-written with Kim Wilkins, which received a starred review in Publishers’ Weekly & won the 2017 Aurealis Award for Best Collection. One of Kate’s stories, The Cunning Woman’s Daughter also won the 2017 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
Kate has a BA in literature, a MA in creative writing and a Doctorate of Creative Arts in fairy tale studies, and is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers. She has taught writing retreats in Australia, Fiji, Greece, and the United Kingdom.
Kate's books with Wombat | Rhiza include:
Once
To follow Kate, you can visit her:
Website: www.kateforsyth.com.au
Facebook: @kateforsythauthor
Twitter: @KateForsyth
Instagram: kate_forsyth_