Nicola Garrard author page

Nicola Garrard biography

Nicola Garrard is a critically acclaimed YA/Crossover author whose latest novel, On the Edge (Old Barn Books, 2025), has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2026, and tackles youth, class and radical protest against the backdrop of the coastal-rural housing crisis. It received a 5-star review in The Daily Telegraph and was chosen as a Financial Times Best Books of 2025 choice.

Her debut novel, 29 Locks (HopeRoad, 2021), was shortlisted in the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2019 and longlisted for the Brandford Boase Award. Its sequel, 21 Miles (HopeRoad, 2023), was described by Anthony McGowan as ‘One of the very best pieces of fiction to come out of the refugee crisis.’ Her fiction is driven by a commitment to social justice, youth empowerment and giving voice to the unheard.

School Author Visit Information

• Nicola’s author presentations are suitable for 11 to 18 year-olds and include a reading, Q&A, and an overview of writing and publishing jobs and processes.
• As well as whole-year-group assembly presentation, Nicola delivers classroom-based creative writing and/or PSHE-focussed workshops.
• All visits include a lunchtime session in the school library where the student librarian team and library users can chat informally with Nicola.
• Nicola is currently delivering assemblies on the history of protest movements, the dangers of extremism and meaningful protest as a response to the increase in far-right nationalism, seen nationally in the St George’s Cross graffiti and flag raising.
• Costs (NB: Nicola discounts visits for schools struggling financially and have not hosted an author recently as a result, and those with an above-average number of Pupil Premium students) She will travel further if expenses are met.
  • Full day: whole-year-group assembly, followed by creative writing workshops in classrooms, 8.30am-4.30pm: £300
  • Half day: an assembly followed by two or three workshops, 8.30am-12.30pm: £200
  • Online e-visit, one hour: Free, with a request for the school library to stock copies of On the Edge.

• Author website