Kirstyn McDermott
# Kirstyn McDermott

Kirstyn McDermott is an Australian writer of speculative fiction.

## Biography

McDermott was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia on 31 October. She grew up in Woodberry, New South Wales and attended the University of Newcastle where she completed a Bachelor of Arts. In 1995 McDermott moved to Melbourne where she currently lives with her husband Jason Nahrung. McDermott is a member of the SuperNOVA writers group.

McDermott was first published in 1993 with the short story "I Am the Silent Voyeur" being featured in Daarke Worlde No. 4. Her 2003 short story "The Truth About Pug Roberts", featured in the anthology Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural, was nominated for the 2004 Ditmar Award for best short story. Her short story "Painlessness" won the 2008 Aurealis Award for best horror short story and the 2009 Ditmar Award for best Australian novella or novelette. In 2010 her first novel, Madigan Mine, was published by Picador and won the 2010 Aurealis Award for best horror novel as well as being nominated for three other awards.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Work | Category | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2001 | Aurealis Award | "Smile for Me" | Best horror short story | Honourable mention |
| 2004 | Ditmar Award | "The Truth About Pug Roberts" | Best short story | Nomination |
| 2007 | Ditmar Award | "Cold" | Best short story | Nomination |
| 2008 | Aurealis Award | "Painlessness" | Best horror short story | Won |
| 2009 | Chronos Award | "Painlessness" | Best short fiction | Won |
| 2009 | Ditmar Award | Midnight Echo (with Ian Mond) | Best collected work | Nomination |
| 2009 | Ditmar Award | "Painlessness" | Best Australian novella or novelette | Won |
| 2010 | Aurealis Award | Madigan Mine | Best horror novel | Won |
| 2010 | Australian Shadows Award | Madigan Mine | Best long fiction | Nomination |
| 2010 | Australian Shadows Award | "She Said" | Best short fiction | Won |
| 2010 | Bram Stoker Award | "Monsters Among Us" | Best long fiction | Nomination |
| 2011 | Chronos Award | Madigan Mine | Best long fiction | Won |
| 2011 | Ditmar Award | Madigan Mine | Best novel | Nomination |
| 2011 | Ditmar Award | "She Said" | Best short story | Won |
| 2012 | Aurealis Award | Perfections | Best horror novel | Won |
| 2020 | Aurealis Award | Never Afters: Female Friendship and Collaboration in Contemporary Re-visioned Fairy Tales by Women | Convenors’ award for excellence | Won |
