Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Something Special, Something Rare |
2015 |
Buy |
Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Bearded Ladies |
1984 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Making Stories |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers |
1993 |
Buy |
| Writing from Start to Finish: A Six-Step Guide |
2001 |
Buy |
| Searching for the Secret River |
2006 |
Buy |
| One Life: My Mother’s Story |
2015 |
Buy |
| The Case Against Fragrance |
2017 |
Buy |
| Always Greener |
2021 |
Buy |
Singer Family Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Lilian’s Story |
1984 |
Buy |
| Joan Makes History |
1988 |
Buy |
| Dark Places / Albion’s Story |
1994 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Dreamhouse |
1987 |
Buy |
| The Idea of Perfection |
1999 |
Buy |
| A Room Made of Leaves |
2020 |
Buy |
| Restless Dolly Maunder |
2023 |
Buy |
Thornhill Family Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Secret River |
2005 |
Buy |
| The Lieutenant |
2007 |
Buy |
| Sarah Thornhill |
2011 |
Buy |
Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most recognized novelists. She began publishing in the 1980s with the story collection Bearded Ladies (1984) and the linked novels Lilian’s Story (1984) and Dark Places (1994), which tell the same family’s story from two perspectives. The Idea of Perfection (1999) won the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her most widely read book is The Secret River (2005), a novel about William Thornhill, an English convict transported to Australia in the early 1800s. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. The Lieutenant (2007) and Sarah Thornhill (2011) continue the Thornhill family story across generations. Grenville has also written several books on the craft of fiction, a memoir about her mother, and her most recent novels A Room Made of Leaves (2020) and Restless Dolly Maunder (2023).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Kate Grenville written?
Kate Grenville has written nineteen books across six series.
What was Kate Grenville's first book?
Kate Grenville’s first book is Bearded Ladies, published in 1984.
What is Kate Grenville best known for?
Grenville is best known for The Secret River (2005), a novel about an English convict transported to New South Wales in the early 1800s who settles on the Hawkesbury River. The book won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.