Kristel Thornell (Australia)
She was born in New South Wales, Australia, and has also lived in Italy, Mexico, Canada, the US and France. She holds a B.A. with First Class Honours and the University Medal from the University of Sydney, and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Western Sydney. Thornell was named one of the Best Young Australian Novelists by The Sydney Morning Herald. Her first novel, Night Street, co-won the Australian/Vogel Award and won the Dobbie, the Barbara Ramsden and the Andrew Eiseman awards. Night Street has been an official text for secondary school study, optioned for film and published in Canada by Goose Lane Editions. Thornell's second novel, On the Blue Train, was published by Allen & Unwin, and in China by Lijiang Publishing. She was awarded an Australia Council for the Arts residency in Rome in 2017. Her latest novel, The Sirens Sing, was published by Fourth Estate.