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Heather Fawcett

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Heather Fawcett
Occupationwriter
Years active2017–present
Notable work
  • The School Between Winter and Fairyland (2021)
  • Emily Wilde series (2023-present)
  • The Grace of Wild Things (2023)
Websiteheatherfawcett.com

Heather Fawcett is a writer of middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction, based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She is best known for her adult cozy fantasy and romantasy novel, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Biography

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Fawcett has an undergraduate degree in archaeology and a master's in English. Before writing full time, she had worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and in theater.[1]

She maintains a Substack where she writes about books she's read and her creative process.[2]

Career

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Fawcett's first published works were for middle grade readers, starting with Even the Darkest Stars, the first in a duology, in 2017. In 2023 she released The Grace of Wild Things, a character-driven fantasy retelling of Anne of Green Gables.[3]

Her adult debut, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, raised her profile, and was nominated in the Locus Awards and the Mythopoeic Awards. It was written as both the beginning of a series and a standalone novel, with further books dependent on reception.[4] She has since released two additional books in the series, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, and a fourth and fifth are planned.[5] The series was nominated in the 2026 Hugo Awards.

The novels are written in an epistolary format, primarily from the perspective of Emily Wilde, a professor at the University of Cambridge who studies the fae. The setting is an alternate history Edwardian era, where women have been admitted to university study and some, like Emily, have earned professorships.

In 2024, she signed a deal with Del Ray for the adult fantasy Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter and two additional books.[6] The idea for Agnes originated before Emily Wilde, but Fawcett has said that it didn't fully mature until she read an article about Montreal and its population of street cats.[7][8]

Published works

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Short stories

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  • "The Fairy Gaol", Beneath Ceaselesss Skies, 2011[9]
  • "A Labyrinth of Honeybees", forthcoming, July 28, 2026

Young adult fiction

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Even the Darkest Stars (2017)

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Published by Storytide, an imprint of Harper Collins.

  • Even the Darkest Stars, 2017
  • All the Wandering Light, 2018

Standalone

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Middle grade

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  • Ember and the Ice Dragons, Balzer & Bray, 2019
  • The Language of Ghosts, Balzer & Bray, 2020
  • The School Between Winter and Fairyland, Balzer & Bray, 2021
  • The Grace of Wild Things, Balzer & Bray, 2023
  • The Islands of Elsewhere, Rocky Pond Books, 2023
  • A Galaxy of Whales, Rocky Pond Books, 2024

Adult

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Emily Wilde (2023)

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Published by Del Ray.

  • Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, 2023
  • Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, 2024
  • Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, 2025
  • Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie, forthcoming, January 2027

Standalone

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  • Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter, Del Ray, 2026

Reception

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Fawcett's middle grade works have been well received by reviewers, who highlight her depiction of familial relationships as well as deeper cultural concerns such as environmentalism and diversity.[10][11][12][13] The Nerd Daily reviewed The Language of Ghosts, calling it "[h]eartfelt, sweet, and action-packed". Noting that it began slowly, they overall found it an appealing read for both middle-grade and adult readers.[14] In a starred review, Kirkus called The Grace of Wild Things "magical, witchy, and thoroughly successful homage to a classic."[15]

Her adult fiction has also been well received. Kirkus called Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries "somewhat uneven" but recommended it for fans of cozy fantasy.[16] Publishers Weekly described the novel as "slow-moving but atmospheric", complimenting its "extensive faerie lore and lush descriptions of the wintry setting".[17] BookPage described the novel's world as "cozy and threatening, allowing her to explore sentimental themes without being maudlin and delve into dark and deadly magic without dwelling for too long on its horrors".[18]

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter was generally positively reviewed,[19][20] though Kirkus was more critical, calling the worldbuilding and plotting "a bit sloppy", but complimented Fawcett for her understanding of "the complicated but rewarding relationship between humans and cats."[21] Library Journal named the novel its Pick of the Month, praising its slow-burn romance and saying, "[t]he cats are charmingly underfoot every step of the way, and the magic is destructive and seductive."[22]

Awards

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref
2019 Even the Darkest Stars Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards Northern LightsNominated [23]
2021 Ember and the Ice Dragons Silver Birch Awards FictionNominated [24]
Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards SundogsNominated [25]
2022 The School Between Winter and Fairyland Ontario Arts Council Children's BookShortlisted [26]
Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards Young Adult/Middle GradeNominated [27]
The Language of Ghosts Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards SundogsNominated [28]
Silver Birch Awards FictionNominated [29]
2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries Goodreads Choice Awards Favorite FantasyNominated—4th [30]
Libby Book Award Best RomantasyWon [31]
The School Between Winter and Fairyland Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards SundogsNominated [32]
Rocky Mountain Book Awards FictionNominated [33]
The Grace of Wild Things Cybils Award EMG Speculative FictionWon [34]
2024 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries Locus Award Fantasy NovelNominated [35]
Mythopoeic Awards Adult LiteratureNominated [36]
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands Goodreads Choice Awards Favorite FantasyNominated—3rd [37]
2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales Goodreads Choice Awards Favorite RomantasyNominated—8th [38]
The Islands of Elsewhere Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards SundogsNominated [39]
The Grace of Wild Things Vermont Golden Dome Book Award -Nominated [40]
2026 Emily Wilde Hugo Awards Best Series Finalist [41]
Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales Aurora Awards NovelNominated [42]

Notes and references

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  1. ↑ "The School Between Winter and Fairyland". CBC. 31 Aug 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  2. ↑ Fawcett, Heather. "From the Otherlands". Substack. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Kantor, Emma (1 Sep 2022). "Kindred Spirits: Children's Authors Reimagine 'Anne of Green Gables'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Behind the Book with Heather Fawcett". Off The Leash. 22 Sep 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Fawcett, Heather (9 Jun 2026). "I'm writing more Emily Wilde books! When; why; how; thoughts on long series". Substack. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "People & Publishing Roundup, July 2024". Locus. 15 Jul 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Jenni. "Author Interview: Heather Fawcett". FairyLoot. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Fawcett, Heather (9 Feb 2026). "Behind the scenes of how I wrote Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter". From the Otherlands. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Andrews, Scott H. (7 Apr 2011). "Issue 66". Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Language of Ghosts". Publishers Weekly. 267 (40): 98–99. 5 Oct 2020.
  11. ↑ "A Galaxy of Whales". Publishers Weekly. 271 (7): 61. 19 Feb 2024.
  12. ↑ Burkam, Anita L. (Jan–Feb 2022). "The School Between Winter and Fairyland". Horn Book Magazine. 98 (1): 111.
  13. ↑ "The School Between Winter and Fairyland". Kirkus. 15 Aug 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Anna G (2 Sep 2020). "Review: The Language of Ghosts by Heather Fawcett". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "The Grace of Wild Things". Kirkus. 15 Nov 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries". Kirkus. 28 Nov 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries". Publishers Weekly. 269 (39): 40–41. 19 Sep 2022.
  18. ↑ Hubbard, Laura (10 Jan 2023). "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries". BookPage. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Maguire, Susan (1 Feb 2026). "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter". Booklist. 122 (6): 48.
  20. ↑ Castellitto, Linda M. (15 February 2026). "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter". BookPage. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter". Kirkus. 8 Nov 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  22. ↑ Harris, Marlene (Dec 2025). "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter". Library Journal. 150 (12): 63.
  23. ↑ "2019 MYRCA Northern Lights Nominees". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "03-Silver-Birch-Fiction-Archive-2021" (PDF). Ontario Library Association. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "2021 Sundogs Nominees". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Shortlists for the 2022 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards announced". Ontario Arts Council. 26 Apr 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  27. ↑ Deogun, Inderjit (2022-04-26). "2022 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award shortlists announced". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  28. ↑ "2022 Sundogs". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "03-Silver-Birch-Fiction-Archive-2022" (PDF). Forest of Reading. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Readers' Favorite Fantasy". Goodreads. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Announcing the Libby Book Award winners!". OverDrive. 13 Mar 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "2023 Sundogs Nominees". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  33. ↑ "RMBA 2023 Fiction Nominees". Lethbridge Public Library. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  34. ↑ "Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 EMG Speculative Fiction Finalists". Cybils Awards. 2 Mar 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "2024 Locus Awards Winners". Locus. 22 Jun 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "Mythopoeic Awards - 2024". Mythopoeic Society. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "Readers' Favorite Fantasy". Goodreads. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Readers' Favorite Romantasy". Goodreads. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "2025 Sundogs Nominees". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "Golden Dome Book Award Winners and Nominees". Vermont Department of Libraries. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "2026 Hugo, Lodestar & Astounding Awards Winners". Locus. 31 Aug 2026. Retrieved 31 Aug 2026.
  42. ↑ "2026 Aurora Awards". Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
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