About Me

Right, so, hello!

Hi, I’m Katie and I like books. I like to read books, write books and talk about books on the internet. When I am not speaking rapidly about Victorian literature and historical fiction on YouTube, I also write novels and work as a freelance editor.

Writing

I chiefly write historical fiction, both novels and short stories. My debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, was published in spring 2023, by Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK and by Dutton in the US.

My second novel, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst, was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK in July 2024.

Freelance Editing

I am a freelance editor, copy editor and proofreader, working primarily for UK publishers. I have eight years of editorial experience, working both in-house and in a freelance capacity. Please note that I do not in general work with authors directly.

BookTube

I make videos twice a week on my YouTube channel, ‘Books and Things’, from monthly reading wrap ups to discussion videos, from tag videos to author spotlights. (If you don’t know what BookTube is, it is YouTube for books, and is a marvellous thing.) I also host two big readathons each year: Jane Austen July each July, focusing on the works of Jane Austen, and Victober (Victorian October) every October, celebrating Victorian literature.

I also make extra videos and host a historical fiction book club on my Patreon .

Review Policy

I am more than happy to receive review copies from publishers, either for an author endorsement or for review on my BookTube channel. I enjoy classics, historical fiction, reading group fiction, general commercial fiction, Japanese literature, and realist short story collections. I will sometimes consider sci-fi and fantasy books as well. I do not generally review horror, erotica or thrillers, and rarely review non-fiction, poetry or children’s literature. In general, I do not review self-published books.

You can contact me on: katie.booksandthings@gmail.com.