Flinders University’s Writer in Residence for 2023 is celebrated Australian writer Garth Nix, who specialises in children’s and young adult fantasy novels.

As the latest guest writer to be hosted by the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Melbourne-based Garth will provide valuable guidance and knowledge for Flinders’ creative writing students through a busy week-long schedule of events.

More than six million copies of Garth’s books have been sold around the world, and they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Bookseller and others. His work has also been translated into 42 languages and he has won multiple Aurealis Awards, the ABIA Award, Ditmar Award, the Mythopoeic Award, CBCA Honour Book, and shortlisted for the Locus Awards, the Shirley Jackson Award and others.

Garth has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.

Garth’s books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand, and Terciel and Elinor; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; fantasy novels Angel Mage; The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and sequel The Sinister Booksellers of Bath; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt’s Emerald.

His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; Frogkisser! and The Keys to the Kingdom series; plus, co-written with Sean Williams, the Troubletwisters and Have Sword Will Travel series.

His next book (which will be released during August 2023) is Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer, which collects all nine stories of the godslaying duo.

On Tuesday, 25 July at 7pm, Garth will have an online conversation with Sean Williams called ‘A Reading Life is a Writing Life’ – which will provide an opportunity to meet and greet Garth online before he arrives at Flinders to begin his residency. Book for online access through Eventbrite.

Once Garth is in Adelaide for his week as Writer in Residence at Flinders, he will provide a series of writing workshops for students, which are also open to all Flinders staff:

• Tuesday 1 August, noon-2pm, for The Art of Writing – with Lisa Bennett (book via Eventbrite).
• Wednesday 2 August, noon-2pm, for The Business of Writing – with Sean Williams (book via Eventbrite).
• Thursday 3 August, noon-2pm, for A Career in Writing – with Justina Ashman (book via Eventbrite).
• Friday 4 August, noon-4pm, Garth will provide mentoring and Story Doctor consultations with Flinders Honours students.

Garth will also be presenting two events that the public can engage with:

• A keynote speech at Flinders Victoria Square on Wednesday 2 August at 6.30-7.30pm (doors open 6pm) about his book The Sinister Booksellers of Bath (tickets via Eventbrite).
• ‘Kaffeeklatsch’ on Sunday 6 August, from 1.30-2.30pm, where Garth will share an informal conversation over a cup of coffee about writing, research, and his wealth of experience in the publishing industry (book a place via Eventbrite).