Emilia Hart

Emilia Hart is a British-Australian novelist.

Biography

Hart was born in Sydney and educated at Barker College. She studied law and English at the University of New South Wales and became a lawyer. In her mid-20s, she moved to London. At 26, after suffering a stroke, she decided to write a novel.[1]

Hart began writing her debut novel, Weyward, while living in Cumbria, where the novel is set. She drew comparisons between the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 and the rise in violence against women during the lockdown, remarking that "the two seemed horribly linked".[2]

Weyward was published in the UK in February 2023, and in the United States in March 2023, where it became a New York Times bestseller.[3] It was described as an "entertaining read" by The Times.[4] Kirkus Reviews called it "thoughtful and at times harrowing".[5] On BBC's Between The Covers, it was praised as a "spellbinding debut novel".[6] In May 2023, The New York Times included the book in its summer roundup of historical fiction.[7]

Hart's second novel, The Sirens, is set for publication in April 2025 by St. Martin's Press.[8]

Awards and honours

Weyward won two Goodreads Choice Awards in December 2023, for Best Debut Novel and Best Historical Fiction, receiving 45,000 and 62,000 votes in each category, respectively.[9]

Bibliography

Novels

Short stories

References

  1. ^ "Borough Press pre-empts Hart debut in six-figure deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  2. ^ southernbooklady (2023-03-28). "Spotlight on: Weyward by Emilia Hart". The Southern Bookseller Review. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  3. ^ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 26, 2023 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  4. ^ Senior, Antonia (2024-01-16). "The latest historical fiction for January 2023 — the lives of two god-struck medieval women". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  5. ^ WEYWARD - Kirkus Reviews.
  6. ^ "BBC Arts - BBC Arts - Six thrilling new book releases for your springtime reading list from Between the Covers". BBC. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  7. ^ Becker, Alida (2023-05-26). "During the Dog Days, Escape to the Old Days". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  8. ^ Varno |, David. "Spring 2025 Fiction & Nonfiction Preview: Literary Fiction". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  9. ^ "Meet the Winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-01-20.