Karen Wyld is a freelance writer and author living on the coast south of Adelaide.

Literature Awards and Scholarships

Heroes, Rebels and Innovators:
Notable and Shortlisted 2022 CBCA Book of the Year, Eve Pownall Award
Longlisted 2022 Australian Book Industry Awards, Book of the Year for Older Children
Shortlisted Australian Booksellers Association 2022 Booksellers’ Choice Book of the Year Awards, Children’s Book
Shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia 2022 Book of the Year Award, 8-10 year olds

Where the Fruit Falls:
Longlisted 2021Australian Book Industry Awards, Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year
Shortlisted 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing
Recipient 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript
Shortlisted 2017 Richell Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript
Recipient 2018 First Nations Writers Hardcopy Scholarship

When Rosa Came Home:
Shortlisted People’s Choice Award, 2015 SA Readers and Writers Festival

Other:
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature 2022 Tangkanungku Pintyanthi Fellowship
SA Writer’s 2021SA First Nations Writers Fellowship Varuna Residency
Recipient Borderlands’ 2020 First Nations Writing Award for a short story
Short-listed for 2019 Copyright Agency-Sydney Review of Books Emerging Critics Fellowship

Publications

Books
Heroes, Rebels and Innovators: Inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history, Hachette, July 2021. (children’s non-fiction – illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai)
Where the Fruit Falls, UWA Publishing, October 2020 (novel)
When Rosa Came Home, December 2013 (novel)

Short Stories
Clatter Tongue published in:
– Borderlands NT, September 2020
– This All Come Back Now: an anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, UQP, 2022

we live on in story, in After Australia anthology, Affirm Press, 2020

Non-fiction
Narrative non-fiction pieces published in Meanjin
Opinion pieces and articles for SBS/NITV, Indigenous X, Meanjin, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Junkee etc
Book reviews and industry articles for Books+Publishing, Sydney Review of Books, Indigenous X, Meanjin, Arts Hub, and In Review
Art reviews for In Review

Professional Development (literature)

Hardcopy Masterclass Program, ACT Writers Centre, 2018
Hardcopy Industry Feedback Weekend, December 2018
Writers SA Writers & Readers in Residence, Oct 2018

MC, Guest Speaker and/or Panel Host

Living Landscape Writers Festival, April 2022
Adelaide Writers Week, March 2021 & 2022
Our Words: First Nations Voices, Adel Festival Centre, Oct 2021
Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA, May 2021
Context: Winter Writing Festival, Adelaide, July 2019 & 2021
Jaipur Adelaide Literature Festival, November 2019

Writers Festivals (non speaking roles)

Project management, First Nations Australian Writers Network conference, 2022
Green Room, Blak & Bright Festival, 2019
Project support, First Nations Australian Writers Network conference, 2018
Volunteer, Ubud Writers Festival, 2014 (first aid) and 2016 (venue manager)

Design and delivery of Writing Workshops

Magic Realism and Nature In Fiction, Living Landscape Writers Festival, 2022
Pathway to Publishing for new writers 45+ years, SA Writers Centre, 2022
Grant Writing for Writers, SA Writers Centre, 2021
Aboriginal Writers Workshop, PEN Melbourne, Mildura, June 2019
StoryWeaving Workshop (writing & basket weaving) for Writers SA, 2018
Culturally respectful research and writing skills for non-Indigenous writers, SA Writers Centre, 2014 & 2015
Writing Workshops for children, Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Tiwi Islands, 2017

More Information

Member:
First Nations Australia Writers Network
SA First Nations Writers Group
SA Writers Centre

Other:
2001 Australia Reads Ambassador
Fellow of the SA Governor’s Leadership Foundation

Professional background includes:
social research, community development, Aboriginal health, social housing, event management, training, community arts, and ex-bookshop owner.