Kathryn Heyman

Kathryn Heyman is an Australian novelist, essayist, and scriptwriter. In addition to six novels and a memoir, Heyman has written several radio plays for the BBC.

Kathryn Heyman was born in Australia and pursued her education at Sheffield Hallam University, where she studied under the tutelage of Caribbean poet E.A. Markham.

Before turning to writing, Heyman worked as a corporate securities lawyer, a profession that took her across New York, Hong Kong, and London. Her teaching career has included positions at the University of Oxford, where she taught creative writing, and she currently serves as the fiction program director for the Faber Academy in Australia.

Kathryn Heyman began her publishing career following her studies at Sheffield Hallam University under the mentorship of Caribbean poet E.A Markham.

Her first novel, The Breaking (1997), was shortlisted for the Stakis Award for the Scottish Writer of the Year and longlisted for the Orange Prize.

Her work has drawn comparisons to notable authors such as Cormac McCarthy, Kate Grenville, and Angela Carter, showcasing her unique voice and the depth of her narratives.

Her memoir, Fury, released in 2021, has received widespread critical acclaim, marking a turning point in her career. This work follows her sixth novel, Storm and Grace, published in 2017.

Fury represents a departure from her previous works, offering a raw and powerful account of her experience as a deckhand on a fishing trawler in the Timor Sea at age 20. Following a traumatic sexual assault trial, Heyman's decision to flee her life led her to a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Besides being a testament to her resilience, her memoir examines class, female complexity, and storytelling. Praised for its gripping narrative and vivid prose, Fury has been compared to celebrated memoirs like The Salt Path by Raynor Winn and Wild by Cheryl Strayed, heralded as a work that will endure the test of time.

She has won multiple awards and nominations, including the Arts Council of England Writers Award, the Wingate and the Southern Arts Awards, and shortlisting for the Kibble Prize and the West Australian Premier’s Book Awards.

Over the years, Heyman has judged several awards and has been a prominent figure in the literary community, including delivering the keynote address for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards in 2013.

Kathryn Heyman lives in Sydney.

Photo credit: kathrynheyman.com