Kate Emery is a journalist and YA author from Perth, Australia. Her first novel The Not So Chosen One was published in 2022. Her next novel, My Family and Other Suspects is out October 2024 from Allen & Unwin. Somewhat ironically, she rarely writes in the third person.
Oh, hi, I didn’t see you there. I’m Kate Emery, a journalist and author based in Perth, Western Australia.
If you’re here then perhaps you want to hear about my books.
My debut young adult novel, The Not So Chosen One, was published by Text Publishing in 2022. It’s about a teenage girl with all the usual worries, like what to wear to a party, unplanned pregnancy and getting accepted into a school for students with magical talent. The Not So Chosen One was shortlisted for the Text Prize, shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards and was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia notable book in 2023. You can order it here or here or from your favourite bookshop.
My next book, My Family and Other Suspects, will be published by Allen & Unwin in October 2024. It’s a young adult murder mystery set in Dunsborough, Western Australia… with jokes.
If you want to say hi, enquire about school or library talks and workshops or just ask if my hair usually looks as good as it does in this photo (no, never) you can contact me here or follow me on Twitter there.
“The Not So Chosen One has everything I want in a portal fantasy—a protagonist with a strong, relatable and likable voice; a setting that feels real and grounded, both in our world and the magical one; and a plot that feels like a genuinely fresh take on a beloved trope. I loved this book to pieces.”
– Jodi McAlister