Hannah Kent was born in 1985 and wrote her debut novel, Burial Rites, which became a published masterpiece, in 2011. After visiting the isolated nation of Iceland on an exchange visit when she was 18, Australian born Kent became fascinated with Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland, and the mystery of the Illugastadir murders. Long since forgotten and washed away by the tides of history, Kent empowers Agnes, giving her a voice. What followed was extensive research and a tireless writing spree that ensured the biopic novel was completed within a short amount of time. Its reception was overwhelming and has since been translated into thirty different languages. Many students studying the text in their formative years are pleased to have rumours confirmed that Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence will be playing Agnes in an upcoming film adaptation.

In an interview, Kent identified her intention to explore the portrayal of Agnes in a more sympathetic light. She came to understand Agnes’ era wherein women who deviated from the social norm of devoted wife, sacrificial mother and innocent virgin were often seen as temptresses or full of a wickedness that, if left untamed, would permeate the small society in which they lived. Her intentions were not to admonish those that condemned Agnes but to present the story as less linear and therefore provoke thought into the terribly difficult circumstances of the era. By switching back and forth between first-person narrative (from the condemned Agnes’ perspective) and third-person, Kent instils a sense of ambiguity and suggests that truth is dependant on perspective and circumstance. Kent’s confession that Agnes and the story of the Illugastadir murders will remain life-long companions to her is understandable; her novel extols dynamic and rich personalities that are expertly crafted and give great scope for insight into this difficult period.

Kent’s second novel, written five years later in 2016, The Good People, takes place in a similar era across the North Atlantic Sea in County Kerry, Ireland. It too tells the story of a struggling woman, feared by a suspicious community. Its success rivals Burial Rites.

Upon its release, Burial Rites won copious awards, and likewise Kent has been applauded as a prolific writer who breathes life into old stories of oppressed women in desperate circumstances. Most notably, the novel was awarded first place for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year (2014) and was shortlisted for the prestigious Stella Prize in 2014.

Kent currently resides in Adelaide, her city of birth, and is pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at the local university.