Katherine Hetzel

Katherine Hetzel creates British children’s fantasy that combines invented worlds with questions about responsibility, trust, and belonging. Trained as a microbiologist, she later developed her writing alongside work with schools, libraries, and writing groups. Kingstone follows Katia, a young temple novice whose protected life changes when she discovers a dragon feather and is pulled into a larger conflict. The novel uses ritual, hidden knowledge, and competing loyalties to build its secondary world, while Katia's choices keep the adventure grounded in personal consequence. Kingstone was longlisted for the Leicester Book Prize in 2018, bringing wider attention to Hetzel's fantasy writing for younger readers. She has also led workshops and school visits, and her experience as a volunteer primary-school librarian keeps her connected to the audience for whom she writes. Her work favours capable young protagonists who must interpret unfamiliar rules rather than merely overcome obstacles, giving the fantasy setting an ethical as well as an adventurous dimension.