Kell Woods

Kell Woods is an Australian author of fantasy novels blending fairy tales, history, and folklore. Her debut, After the Forest, reimagines the story of Hansel and Gretel years after the events of the fairy tale, and was a Sunday Times bestseller; she followed it with Upon a Starlit Tide, which combines elements of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella and won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel, also named one of BookPage's Best SFF & Horror Books of 2025. Woods studied English literature, creative writing, and librarianship, and has worked in libraries, museums, communications, and copywriting. She is currently completing a third novel under a two-book deal with Tor Books, and lives near the sea on the New South Wales south coast with her husband, two sons, and three pets.