The Gypsy Crown

About Kate Forsyth

Dr Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel aged seven & has now sold more than a million books worldwide. 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 also runs a literary & writing retreat in the Cotswolds every year, as well as retreats on writing True Life Stories and a Mythic Creativity retreat.

Recently voted one of Australia’s Favourite 15 Novelists, Kate Forsyth has been called ‘one of the finest writers of this generation’. She has written more than 40 books, for all age groups and across many genres, published in 20 countries.

Her most recent book 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. It will be released in July 2022.

Other novels for adults include The Blue Rose, a story of impossible love set in Revolutionary France and Imperial China;  Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ set amongst the passions and scandals of the Pre-Raphaelites; Bitter Greens, which won the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical Fiction; The Wild Girl, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales, which was named the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013; The Beast’s Garden, a reimagining of the Grimm brothers’ version of ‘Beauty & the Beast’ set in Nazi Germany.

Kate is also working on a book of art & poetry in collaboration with the Archibald-Prize-winning artist Wendy Sharpe, which will be released in October 2022. Other collaborations include Searching for Charlotte: The Fascinating Story of Australia’s First Children’s Author, co-written with her sister Belinda Murrell, and the award-winning The Silver Well, co-written with Kim Wilkins. 

Kate’s books for children and young adults include the collection of feminist fairy-tale retellings Vasilisa the Wise & Other Tales of Brave Young Women, illustrated by Lorena Carrington, which came second in the Fairies and Folklore category of the 2018 Readers Favorite book awards in the US. It is the first in the Long Lost Fairy Tales series, with other titles including The Buried Moon & Other Tales of Bright Young Women, Snow White, Rose Red & Other Tales of Kind Young Women, and The Gardener’s Son & the Golden Bird & Other Tales of Gentle Young Men.  Other children’s books include The Impossible Quest which was shortlisted for the REAL Awards in 2017, The Puzzle Ring, named an ‘Unsung Hero’ of 2009 by international bloggers, and the award-winning Chain of Charms series.

Kate’s doctoral exegesis ‘The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic History 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. She was recently awarded the prestigious Nancy Keesing Fellowship by the State Library of NSW.