Kathryn Evans (writer)

Kathryn Evans
Born
Vivienne Kathryn Hodgkiss

January 1969
Portsmouth, England
Alma materBangor University
Spouse
Nick Evans
​
(m. 1993)​
Children2
Websitekathrynevans.ink

Vivienne Kathryn Evans (née Hodgkiss; born January 1969) is an English young adult (YA) novelist, public speaker and farmer. Her debut novel More of Me (2016) won the Edinburgh Book Festival's First Book Award and a Crystal Kite Award. Her second novel Beauty Sleep (2019) earned a CrimeFest Award.

Early life

Evans was born and grew up a "Navy kid" in Portsmouth with three siblings. She lost her mother at a young age. Evans graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Drama from Bangor University in 1990.[1]

Career

Upon graduating university, Evans moved to Sussex and landed her first job working backstage in the green room of Chichester Festival Theatre.[1] Needing to make ends meet, Evans was simultaneously introduced to the farming industry by her then-future husband Nick.[2] The pair started off growing vegetables at Almodington Nurseries before setting up their own strawberry farm in Sidlesham.[3]

At the recommendation of Natascha Biebow, Evans joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) circa 2002,[4] where she honed her writing skills.

In 2016 via Usborne Books,[1] Evans published her debut young adult (YA) science fiction novel More of Me, about a teenager Teva Webb who replicates herself every birthday, leaving the previous versions of herself stuck at that age.[5] The novel had a U.S. publication in 2017 via Amulet Books (an Abrams Books imprint).[6] More of Me won the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award[7] and the 2017 Crystal Kite Award in the UK and Ireland category,[8] and was also shortlisted for the 2018 Concorde Book Award.[9]

Evans reunited with Usborne for the publication of her second novel Beauty Sleep, a YA thriller re-telling of Sleeping Beauty about a girl named Laura who wakes up after being frozen for forty years.[10] Beauty Sleep won Best Crime Novel for Young Adults at the 2020 CrimeFest Awards[11] and the Portsmouth Book Award. The novel was also shortlisted for UCLan Publishing's Steam Children's Book Prize in the YA category[12] and Lancashire Book of the Year.[13]

In addition, Evans has worked with the BBC on educational programming. She presented a GCSE English language educational short film with poet Theresa Lola for BBC Bitesize.[14]

Influences

Evans has praised the children's literature of Candy Gourlay, Michael Morpurgo, Jeanne Willis, Catherine Johnson and Matt Haig.[4]

Personal life

At university, Evans met her husband Nick, an agriculture student from a farming background. The couple live on their Sidlesham farm, where they raised their son and daughter in a mobile home.[2]

Bibliography

  • More of Me (2016)
  • Beauty Sleep (2019)

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result Ref
2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award More of Me Won [7]
2017 Crystal Kite Award UK / Ireland Won [8]
2018 Concorde Book Award Shortlisted [9]
2020 STEAM Children's Book Prize YA Beauty Sleep Shortlisted [12]
Portsmouth Book Award Won [15]
CrimeFest Awards Best Crime Novel for Young Adults Won [11]
Lancashire Book of the Year Shortlisted [13]

References

  1. ^ a b c Scott, Sue (1 March 2016). "Kathryn Evans and her first novel". Sussex Life. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b Peterson, Jackie (26 July 2017). "Kathryn Evans on Fencing, Acting, Strawberries and Everything Else". Fictionist. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Sidlesham strawberry growers launch innovative new vending venture in village". Sussex Express. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b Grant, Sara (April 2022). "SCBWI FACES Kathryn Evans". Words&Pictures. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ^ Yawn, Mike (9 June 2017). "'More of Me': Debut YA novel has 'sci-fi twist and a spoonful of horror'". Chron. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  6. ^ Ryland, Jen (7 June 2017). "Review of More of Me by Kathryn Evans". YA All Day. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  7. ^ a b Eyre, Charlotte (27 October 2017). "YA Author Wins 2016 Book Festival First Book Award". The Bookseller. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b "2017 Crystal Kite Winners". Locus. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Fantasy fiction novel scoops Concorde Book Award 2018". South Gloucestershire Newsroom. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  10. ^ Murray, Michelle (July 2021). "Beauty Sleep By Kathryn Evans Book Review". Playdays & Runways. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Evans Wins CrimeFest Award". Locus. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  12. ^ a b "The STEAM Children's Book Prize 2020". UCLan Publishing. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b Hill, Mike (2 October 2020). "Lancashire schoolchildren's book of the year revealed". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  14. ^ "GCSE English Language: Analysing Fiction". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Portsmouth Book Awards - Reading Champion". Springfield School. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
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