Paul Howarth

Paul Howarth is an award-winning author and former lawyer. His first novel, Only Killers and Thieves (HarperCollins and Pushkin Press) won the Barnes & Noble discover award for fiction, was short- or long-listed for many other prizes, both in the UK and USA, and appeared on numerous books of the year lists. Set in frontier Australia in the late nineteenth century, the novel tells the story of two young brothers, Tommy and Billy McBride, who find themselves swept up in a so-called ‘dispersal campaign’ by the Queensland Native Police, a real-life arm of colonial law enforcement that has been largely hidden from the history books and forgotten over time. 

His second novel, Dust Off the Bones (HarperCollins and Pushkin Press) concluded the McBrides’ story and was also published to widespread acclaim, earning starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and being named book of the month by both the Times and Sunday Times. 

In addition to his fiction, Paul has written numerous articles for publications such as the Guardian, the Big Issue, Metro, History Today, and CrimeReads. Prior to becoming an author, Paul trained and practised as a solicitor for one of the UK’s leading commercial law firms, before completing an MA on the prestigious creative-writing programme at the University of East Anglia, where he was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury Scholarship. He is a British-Australian dual citizen but now calls Norwich home.