Hello. Thanks for dropping by.
I’m Kim Kelly, writer of Australian fiction. In real life, I’m also a book editor, better known in the margin notes there as Kim Swivel.
Human stories, written by humans, are my big love because it’s through sharing our stories that we create pathways of understanding and empathy.
My work has been short and longlisted for various awards, including the ARA Historical Novel Prize, Viva la Novella, The Hope Prize and the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize. My latest fiction, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room, was awarded the 2023 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Prize, And my very first memoir – Touched – was award the 2025 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Prize for nonfiction.
I hold a Master of Creative Writing from Macquarie University, for which I earned the Faculty of Arts’ Fred Rush Convocation Prize, and I’m presently in the thick of PhD research there.
I’m grateful to live and work mostly on Eora and Wiradjuri lands, in Sydney and central-west New South Wales.
If you’d like to chat books and writing, drop me a line via the contact page. I’d love to hear from you,
Kim x
Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky, too.
Find my CV here:
Kim Kelly 
Hello Kim, I just finished reading ‘This Red Earth’ and it is still with me. It is one the books that will keep returning at odd moments. I really, really enjoyed it. Thank you. Note: I was a smoker for most of my life. I have now been free of it for twenty four years. I understand exactly what you have said. Cheers Delores
What a beautiful message, Delores. Thank you so much for letting me know – that you loved This Red Earth and that you are a monster-slayer too! Kim xxx
Currently reading the blue mile. It is absolutely brilliant. It would make a wonderful film. Not only is it well written it is well researched. With the work I’ve done I can really appreciate that.
Regards
Richard Bradley
Thank you so much, Richard. I am absolutely chuffed you think so – I just snuck a peek at your company website and CV, and I see that you really do understand the work that goes into historical narrative. Maybe one day someone will snap up The Blue Mile for film – that’d be grand! Cheers to you, and all the best with your own projects. Kim 🙂
Hello Kim.
I also have just this minute finished reading The Blue Mile. I loved it. I loved the romance of Olivia and Eoghan and Agnes was a character that got to my heart. I could imagine every street and place in Sydney as you described it in your book. I did the bridge climb for my 50th birthday and never get tired of looking at that magnificent structure. Sydney is a great place to visit and I have had several holidays there with my own family. I grew up near Wollongong but have lived in Adelaide for 30 years. I work in a library and will definitely be recommending your books to our customers. If you are going to be promoting your new book in Adelaide this year I would love to meet you. We love to host authors at our library so be sure to let me know how we could contact your publicist if ever you are coming this way. I will be reading your other novels and look forward to Paper Daisies.
Regards,
Angela
Thank you so much, Angela! What lovely thoughts to share. I wish I could come to Adelaide this year – it’s a such a wonderful city. Maybe I’ll have to set a novel there one day! Best wishes to you – Kim x
Just finished This Red Earth. Beautiful writing, very enjoyable. Thank you.
David Hart
Thank you so much for letting me know, David. That’s a beautiful thing to hear.
Hello, Kim. Thank you for “The Blue Mile”. A brillant book with great characters. Loved them all, especially little Agnes. Have been in Eoghan’s shoes, up there, in my Structural Engineering days, and know how he felt.
You have a wonderful way with words, and I look forward to reading your other books.
Kind regards.
Bill
Thanks Bill! You’ve made my day. I’d love to hear what you think of the others. All the best – Kim x
Hi Kim
I have just finished reading The Blue Mile and what an enjoyable read it has been! I wonder if Olivia, Oeghan or Agnes ever ventured back to Australia – any possibility of a sequel? Now I have to find your other books -can’t wait to read more of your stories! Thanks!
Regards Meg
Hi Meg,
Thank you so much for your lovely words on The Blue Mile. All my characters jostle about in my imagination with new stories to share but I think it might be little Aggie who is going to tell me her own tale one day – we’ll see! I hope you enjoy my other stories too. Happy reading! Kim x
Hi Kim., I have just discovered your delightful books. I have found and read Black Diamonds. Yes I know. Your first novel. Your style of writing is so addictive, just can’t put your book down. I now have the pleasure of sourcing all of your books to read , which is the best thing about finding the first book you ever wrote, .I have mutch catching up to do……
What a beautiful message, Wendy. Thank you! I hope you enjoy them all.
I bought your book Red Earth at a primary school fete last week and really enjoy reading it.
I am up to page 196 & like the suspense because everyone thinks Singapore will stand up to the Japanese but we all know what happened.
Lately I have read a lot of books about the second world war set in Europe, two set in Hungary, about the chaos and complexity of life.
Now I see you have written a number of books so I will do my usual thing & try & get every book & read it.
This is not always a good strategy because authors try new things & I dont always like every book.
Regards Judy
Hi Judy, thanks for getting in touch. So glad to hear you’re getting into This Red Earth. My novels do vary quite a bit, but they’re all slices of Australia. I hope you find something different to enjoy in each one. 🙂
Hello Kim, I’ve just finished listening to the audiobook of Her Last Words. It was a moving story with so many threads so beautifully woven together.
Huge Congratulations to you & also the narrator.
I have read some of your other books & particularly loved The Blue Mile.
Please keep writing!! Best wishes. Tess
Thank you for your lovely message, Tess. I’m so glad you enjoyed Her Last Words – and The Blue Mile. I’ll pass on your kind words to Caroline Lee, the narrator, too – isn’t she marvellous? All good wishes to you.
I have just listened to the audiobook Sunshine and I absolutely loved it. I could have listened to hours more of the main characters stories. It was a story of new beginnings and overcoming hardship. Beautifully written and easy to picture even though I live in the UK. Educational on the treatment of the indigenous Australians.
Looking forward to reading more of your books, As this was my first KK book I am looking forward to more, Her Last Words is next on the list.
Thanks so much, Lorraine! I’m so glad you enjoyed little Sunshine. I hope you enjoy Her Last Words too. It’s wonderful to hear your thoughts from the other side of the world. 🙂
Hi Kim, I have just listened to Lady Bird and the Fox. It is a book that has been waiting to be written for so long. I enjoyed every word. I especially loved Jem and grandfather Coolyarn. I have lived in all of the places that you write about and work on several fronts relevant to the book’s story. Thank you for doing it so marvellously well.
Thank you, Sue, for your lovely words. It means a great deal to me that you enjoyed Annie and Jem’s tale.
Hi Kim
I am currently on holidays in Glen Innes NSW, visiting family, away from home in Tasmania. One of the lovely things here has been to read from the family book cupboard, a treasure trove of all your books. I have just finished reading Her Last Words and The Truth and Addy Loest. I have previously read everything else from the book cupboard you have written. So I look forward to reading The Rat Catcher and future stories. I have loved every book, and these last two were truly wonderful tales of love. Thank you!!
How wonderful! Thank you so much for letting me know, Leonie – and for your very kind words. Happy travels X
Hi Kim,
Ive had the pleasure of reading three of your wonderfully descriptive, well written and emotive stories too date.
The Rat Catcher, The Blue Mile, and Black Diamonds.
Absolutely loved The Blue Mile and Black Diamonds.
It would be absolutely marvellous if you wrote sequels to both books.
I’m sure many of your readers would echo my comments.
You keep this reader riveted to the pages.
Bless.
Thank you for your lovely words, Carol 🙂 All of my stories are one-offs, although some are interconnected – for example, the Ackermans from Black Diamonds reappear in Walking. I don’t know if I’ll write a sequel to any of my stories, but I never say never! All best wishes to you – Kim