| Kate Forsyth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 (age 45–46) Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Writer, Poet, Journalist |
| Genres | Fantasy |
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www.kateforsyth.com.au |
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Kate Forsyth is an Australian fantasy author, best known for the Witches of Eileanan series, and the Rhiannon's Ride series, which is also set in Eileanan.
She is the author of several children's fantasy books, including The Gypsy Crown, The Starthorn Tree, Dragon Gold and Wishing For Trouble. She is an internationally published poet with a collection called Radiance, and has published a novel called Full Fathom Five under her maiden name, Kate Humphrey.
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Kate Forsyth was born in the city of Sydney, Australia, in 1966. She wanted to be a writer from a young age. She learned to read early. Her first novel was written at the age of seven.
Her latest achievement is the 2007 Aurealis Awards. Books 2 – 6 in 'The Chain of Charms' series were awarded the 2007 Aurealis Award for Children's Fiction. It is the first time that one author has ever won the award five times in a single year.
"A beautifully realized set of stories dealing with the adventures of two gypsy children in Cromwell's England. We care deeply about the fate of the children and whether they can save their family from hanging. Loads of suspense and vivid detail, told with masterful style." - Aurealis Award judges.
After graduating in a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Macquarie University, Forsyth worked as a full time journalist, including Editor of Hair and deputy editor of Money Watch before quitting to work freelance, writing articles for Vogue Australia, Black + White, Studio Bambini, Mode Brides, Interiors and Australian Collections amongst others.
Freelancing allowed her to concentrate more on her poetry and to be President of the Poets Union. She publishes her poetry under her maiden name, Kate Humphrey. This has appeared in Australian newspapers, such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Bulletin, and domestic and international literary magazines.
She wrote "Full Fathom Five" as the thesis for her Master of Arts in Writing, and then, to relieve the tedium of studying theorists such as Lacan, Derrida and de Saussure for her exams, she started reading a multi-book fantasy series. The turning point was when her husband, Greg Forsyth, suggested that she write such a series herself.
Her books are sold in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Italy and Japan.