"Putting creative flesh on history's dry bones"
I'm the author of sixteen books - historical fiction, historical fantasy, YA fantasy, and one non-fiction. I was an academic for over 20 years, a newspaper columnist and social commentator. I have a Ph.D. in English/Cultural Studies and have been published internationally on all things popular culture, education and social psychology. I even won awards for my teaching (I loved it), and have taught throughout Australia and in The Netherlands and keynoted at many education conferences. Nowadays, I find my greatest contentment studying history and writing, and helping my wonderful husband in his Brewery and Distillery, Captain Bligh's. I share a beautiful stone house in Hobart, Tasmania, built in 1868, with my husband, adorable dogs, shelves brimming with books, and beloved friends and family when they come to stay.
Books
‘Brooks' mischievous retelling [of Chaucer's Wife of Bath] dials up the feminist themes - and the fun - to 11.'
CANBERRA TIMES on The Good Wife of Bath
'It's the language of this bawdy tale that tickles'
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY on The Good Wife of Bath
'Meticulously researched and historically compelling... this fast-paced novel is a dramatic spy thriller that shines a spotlight on the inner workings of Elizabethan England.
BOOKS+PUBLISHING on The Locksmith's Daughter
'So damn readable and fun ... This is the story of a woman fighting for her rights; it breaches the walls of history.'
THE AUSTRALIAN on The Good Wife of Bath
'The Darkest Shore is meticulously researched, taking a real historical event, and [Karen Brooks'] academic experience and merging it with exceptional storytelling. The characters are complex and compelling ... a powerful novel, at times brutal, but always enthralling. The Darkest Shore is a major achievement for Karen Brooks.'
BETTER READING on The Darkest Shore
'Karen Brooks demonstrates her considerable talent for capturing the historical moment in this richly told, immersive read that will acquaint readers with a woman whose name we should all know. '
PIP WILLIAMS, author of The Bookbinder of Jericho on The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson
Curse of the Bond Riders Series
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My Articles

Exploring the Power of Women
April 25, 2024
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Long ago, I made deliberate choice to foreground women’s stories from the past and, by doing so, I hope, celebrating the power of women in

Author, Playwright, Lover, Spy and figure of hate: Who was Aphra Behn?
February 25, 2024
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In 1929, Virginia Woolf wrote that “All women together ought to let flowers fall on the tomb of Aphra Behn… For it was she who

“Sin in a bowl”: The history of the chocolate drink
January 25, 2024
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So much of our history is not only recorded by men, but features them almost exclusively. This is especially true when it comes to trade. Women have always been integral to business and