Karen Simpson Nikakis

Karen Simpson Nikakis, known commonly as K. S. Nikakis, is an Australian fantasy author, writer and poet who lives at Melton,[1] who has written the fantasy novel The Whisper of Leaves (2007). She was nominated for an Aurealis Awards twice in 2020.

Karen Simpson Nikakis
Nikakis, far left, 2017
Nikakis, far left, 2017
BornMansfield, Victoria, Australia
OccupationNovelist, lecturer in writing
NationalityAustralian
Period2007–present
GenreFantasy
Notable awardsAustralian Shadows Awards (2020 runner up, poetry)
Aurealis Awards (2020, two nominations)
Website
www.ksnikakis.com

Early life

Nikakis was raised in the central Victorian town of Mansfield, surrounded by the mountains of the Victorian Alps. Her interest in fantasy occurred at age 19, when she read Tolkien's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings. She has since written a number of published academic essays on myth and fantasy writing.

She has worked as a secondary teacher, a technical and further education teacher, and as a lecturer in business communications at Deakin University.[2][3] She completed a Master in Education in young adult literature with her thesis being on The Purpose of Dragons in Selected Children’s Literature in the Twentieth Century at Charles Sturt University[4] and went on to complete a PhD in 1997 in fantasy fiction from Victoria University with her thesis on The Use of Narrative in Order to Break the Masculine Domination of the Hero Quest.[5][6]

Writing

During the 1980s, she started writing picture story books, which she also illustrated. Her first fantasy novel was published by Allen & Unwin in 2007 as The Whisper of Leaves, the first book in a fantasy series: the Kira Chronicles. A second book The Song of the Silvercades was released in July 2008.[1][7]

In 2008, she was appointed the foundation head of the bachelor's degree in Writing and Publishing for Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.[1][8]

In 2020, she was a runner up for Australian Shadows Awards poetry award.[9] The same year her book I Heard the Wolf Call My Name was nominated for a Aurealis Awards for Young Adult Novel and her short story Glass-Heart was nominated for the Young Adult Short Story award.[10]

Works

Novels

Short stories
  • The gift in Aurealis #40, Chimaera Publications, Australia, 2008
  • Redemption in Moondance – E-zine: USA[16]
  • Lovers in Smokelong Quarterly – E-zine: USA[17]
  • Song of the frog prince in Zahir #4: USA

References
  1. Amy Walker, Melton author spurs the imagination Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 25 August 2008 Accessed 15 November 2008
  2. "Karen Simpson Nikakis". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. Allen and Unwin Author Profile Archived 11 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Allen & Unwin website, Accessed 14 November 2008
  4. Simpson Nikakis, Karen (1995), The purpose of dragons in selected children's literature in the twentieth century, Charles Sturt University, retrieved 24 March 2023
  5. Nikakis, Karen Simpson (1997), The use of narrative in order to break the masculine domination of the hero quest, retrieved 24 March 2023
  6. Karen Nikakis, K.S. Nikakis blog. Accessed 14 November 2008
  7. Allen & Unwin, The Kira Chronicles Archived 29 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Publisher Promotional website. Accessed 14 November 2008
  8. NMIT Meet the staff - Dr Karen Simpson Nikakis, NMIT website, Accessed 14 November 2008
  9. "2020 Australian Shadows Awards Winners". Locus. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  10. "K. S. Nikakis". Science Fiction Awards Database. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  11. Smith, Craig (27 September 2002). "The Whisper of Leaves". Kirkus Reviews. 70 (15): 1083.
  12. Sussex, Lucy (19 August 2007). "The Whisper Of Leaves". Sunday Age. Melbourne. p. 30. ProQuest 367291734.
  13. Moore, Scott; Orchard, Shelley; Pedley, Derek; James, Stan (15 September 2007). "This week's selections". The Advertiser. Adelaide. p. W12. ProQuest 355196393.
  14. Dempsey, Dianne (23 August 2008). "The Song of the Silvercades". The Age. Melbourne. p. 28. ProQuest 364056382.
  15. "The Cry of the Marwing K.S. Nikakis Allen & Unwin: The Cry of the Marwing K.S. Nikakis Allen & Unwin". The Chronicle. Toowoomba. 28 November 2009. p. TW.5. ProQuest 251161600.
  16. Karen Nikakis, Redemption, Moondance webzine, 2004. Accessed 14 November 2008
  17. Karen Nikakis, Lovers Archived 5 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Smokelong Quarterly, Issue 5, August 2004. Accessed 14 November 2008
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