Lili Wilkinson

Lili Wilkinson is a reader and writer of YA literature. She is the author of nine books for teenagers, and has a PhD in Creative Writing.

Meet the Speaker

What other jobs have you had?


I developed and managed Inside a Dog at the State Library of Victoria for seven years, as well as establishing the Inky Awards and the Inkys Creative Reading Prize. When I was first a uni student, I used to be the girl who held up paintings at a fancy art auction warehouse. I also did a PhD where I researched the links between YA, online fandom, and teen activism.

What themes are recurring in your work?


Smart, funny, flawed teenage girls. Honesty. Feminism.

What have been the highlights of your career?


My first piece of fan mail (and all subsequent fan mail). Winning the Ena Noel Prize for Scatterheart. Getting a standing ovation from 2000 kids in Adelaide. Selling my first book to the US.

Where have your works been published?


Australia, the UK, the US, Germany, Italy, Turkey and China.

What are you passionate about?


Books. Reading. Teenagers and their rights. Romance. Books where a girl doesn’t have to die on order for a boy to have feelings. The way that the internet provides amazing and creative ways to respond to literature.

Haven’t I seen you before?


No, that was probably my evil doppelganger.

Find Similar Speakers

© Booked Out 2025