About Kathy

Kathy Childs

Author

Kathy Childs was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. After numerous careers in New Zealand, the UK and Australia, she founded a boutique hotel and long stay accommodation company based in Melbourne where she now resides.She began writing in her spare time as a hobby, one that quickly developed into a passion. Determined to learn the craft she undertook the Professional Writing and Editing program at Victoria University.

Kathy honed her skills writing short stories – some light and fanciful, others dark and disturbing. Her book of short stories Do Ghosts Have Freckles? is due to be published in 2021.

Kathy has won a number of writing competitions and has been published both online and in print. In recognition of her writing, Kathy has also been asked to act as a judge for several Australian short story awards.

Puzzle Me Dead, a suspense thriller set in Melbourne, Australia, is Kathy’s first novel. Her second, a YA Fantasy called Slow Burn is well underway.

When not writing, or working, Kathy loves to read and to travel with family and friends.

Browse Publications

Kathy’s publications include:

  • The Man in the Mirror won first prize in the Good Grief Award 2017 sponsored by the Hunters Writers Centre 2017 (Grieve – Stories for Grief Awareness Month Volume 5, Hunter Valley Writers Centre, 2017).

  • Problem Solver was selected for publication in the Rainforest Writing Retreat Anthology 2017. 

  • Past Future Present won second prize in the Birdcatcher Books Short Story Award, 2016 (Crossroads, Birdcatcher Books, 2017)

  • Do Ghosts Have Freckles was highly commended in the Stringybark Times Past Short Story Award, 2016 (Longing for Solitude, Stringybark Publishing, 2016).

  • Lighting the Way won the local content prize in the Ex Libris Festival of Words, Port Fairy, 2015 (The Standard Newspaper, 2015).

  • The Woman in the Window was highly commended in the Ghostly Stringybark, 2015 (Ghostly Stringybark, Stringybark Publishing, 2015).

  • Ghostly Hugh was highly commended in the Ghostly Stringybark Award, 2015 (Ghostly Stringybark, Stringybark Publishing, 2015).

  • Honest Abe was highly commended in the Stringybark Short Story Award, 2014 (No Tea Tomorrow, Stringybark Publishing, 2014)

  • No Tea Tomorrow won the Stringybark Short Story Award, 2014 (No Tea Tomorrow, Stringybark Publishing, 2014). 

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