Catherine Randall author page

Catherine Randall biography

Catherine Randall is a British author of children’s historical fiction. Her debut novel, The White Phoenix, was published by The Book Guild in August 2020. It is set in a London bookshop in 1666 and follows thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hopper as she faces prejudice, prophecy and the Great Fire of London. The book was shortlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award in 2021.

She studied Modern History at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, then worked as an editor in book publishing before pausing her professional career to raise her family. Later she earned a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature at the University of Roehampton, writing a novella for teens as part of her dissertation.

Catherine grew up in Shropshire and regularly conducts workshops about the Great Fire of London in primary schools. Additionally, she has written local history plays, including The Teddington Review and Letters from the Front, both performed in 2017-18.

Her second historical novel, The Great Bear Breakout, is scheduled for publication by The Book Guild on 28 February 2026. It draws on real events at a Victorian zoo in south London. The novel was shortlisted for the Yeovil Literary Prize 2024 in the Children’s and Young Adult Novel category.