Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. A full-time writer since 2001, he previously 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 award-winning young adult fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen and Clariel; the dystopian novel Shade's Children; the space opera A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt's Emerald. His fantasy novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of the Seventh Tower sequence; the Keys to the Kingdom series; and the Troubletwisters series and Spirit Animals: Blood Ties (co-written with Sean Williams). More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, his books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the Guardian and the Australian, and his work has been translated into forty languages. He lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.
On writing fantasy:
'A fantasy novel should be like an iceberg. The story is the visible ten percent but the reader should feel like there is another ninety per cent under the surface that they can't see: it's not in the story but they know it's there. They should feel that the novel is built upon its own unique history, myths and legends, depths that are hinted at and suggested by the author, never to be fully explored or explained.'
On creating characters:
'I always find my characters through story. I have a vague idea what they might be like when I start writing, but generally they develop as the story develops. They become what they need to be for the story. Of course they then influence where I take the story…'
Favourite place
'The NSW south coast around Bawley Point has always been important and inspirational to me. I read many books for the first time at the coast, and have written at least part of every one of my books there.'
Find out more about Garth and his books by visiting these websites:
www.oldkingdom.com.au
www.garthnix.com
Working with Words: Garth Nix interviewed by The Wheeler Centre
Published: August 2022
This ABIA award-winning fantasy adventure set in 1980s London follows one girl's quest to find her father, leading her to a secret society of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World when it disastrously intrudes into the modern world.
Published: November 2021
Bestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel's parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the charter magic that brought them together - and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series.
Published: September 2021
'Nix is a master of the genre: his exquisitely detailed world-building is unparalleled, and his characters are so tremendously alive and compelling that I'm convinced there's Charter Magic in every word.' (Sarah J. Maas, author of the best-selling Throne of Glass series)
Published: August 2021
Garth Nix's masterwork is a compelling high fantasy, the gripping story of a young heroine who must do battle in Death itself to defeat a powerful enemy. A tale of dark secrets, deep love and dangerous magic.
Published: February 2021
A high fantasy adventure full of pistols, swashbuckling, angels and heroes, Angel Mage is also a breathtaking story about love and power, obsession and passion.
Published: September 2020
From the bestselling author of Angel Mage, this ABIA winner set in 1980s London follows one girl's quest to find her father, leading her to a secret society of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World when it disastrously intrudes into the modern world.
Published: October 2019
From fantasy master Garth Nix comes a new world of angels, heroes, gunpowder and high magic.
Published: January 2019
The fifth book in the New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series.
Published: October 2018
From New York Times bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams comes this funny, exciting fantasy adventure about two friends and a couple of swords with attitude.
Published: October 2018
From New York Times bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams, comes this hilarious, action-packed adventure featuring a very unlikely knight, an admirably stubborn girl and a sword with attitude.
Published: September 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: September 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: June 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: June 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: March 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: February 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: February 2018
Seven keys … seven days … seven breathtaking adventures.
Published: February 2017
A rollicking fantasy-adventure by the master of children's speculative fiction.
Published: January 2016
Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker? An epic fantasy adventure, set six hundred years before Sabriel and as rich and compelling as the original Old Kingdom novels.
Published: January 2016
A collection of Garth Nix's best short stories, including a novella set in the Old Kingdom of Sabriel and Clariel.
Published: September 2015
A Regency romance with magical elements, featuring an eighteen-year-old heroine and a dashing young hero - and a case of mistaken identity.
Published: May 2015
A collection of Garth Nix's best short stories, featuring a diverse cast of characters - protectors, travellers, warriors - ranging across vividly evoked worlds and times.
Published: August 2014
Garth Nix's fantasy masterwork is a compelling high fantasy, the gripping story of a young heroine who must do battle in Death itself to defeat a powerful enemy. A tale of dark secrets, deep love and dangerous magic.
Published: August 2014
Set in the same dark, magical world as Garth Nix's award-winning Sabriel, this is a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny and danger, from an exceptional fantasy talent.
Published: August 2014
The conclusion to Garth Nix's extraordinary Lirael is a rich and vividly imagined story, breathtaking, terrifying, and utterly absorbing.
Published: April 2014
Magical twins, mystery and danger, unexplained events, and an Evil that refuses to be contained . Book four in the gripping series from fantasy masters Garth Nix and Sean Williams.
Published: March 2014
A grand adventure that spans galaxies and lifetimes, A Confusion of Princes is also a page-turning thriller, a tender romance, and a powerful exploration of what it means to be human. From the fertile imagination of Garth Nix, internationally bestselling author of the Old Kingdom and Keys to the Kingdom series.
Published: April 2013
Magical twins, mystery and danger, unexplained events, and an Evil that refuses to be contained . Twins Jack and Jaide are troubletwisters and in this book they must use their elusive Gifts to search Rourke Castle for the mysterious Golden Card of Translocation.
Published: June 2012
A dramatic dystopia, telling a story of courage and companionship in the face of ruthless, hi-tech enemies.
Published: May 2012
Last time, twins Jaide and Jack defeated The Evil with luck and intuition. This time they must truly master their powers as troubletwisters. The second exciting, mysterious instalment in the series, from fantasy masters Garth Nix and Sean Williams.
Published: May 2011
Twins Jaide and Jack Shield are about to discover a secret - that they're Troubletwisters and must defend the world against a dark, evil force. And they're about to discover the powers that go with that secret. The exciting, mysterious first book in a major series from fantasy masters Garth Nix and Sean Williams.
Published: August 2008
Four funny, fantastical stories for readers 7-11 yrs, from the fertile imagination of internationally acclaimed author, Garth Nix.
Published: February 2006
Garth Nix's powerful first fantasy for younger readers, The Ragwitch is a chilling tale of witchcraft, with its starting point in Australia.
Published: September 2005
The collected short stories of Garth Nix, including a novella which follows on from the enthralling Old Kingdom fantasy adventures of Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen.