Casey Nott is an author who writes contemporary fiction that celebrates women and explores the challenges they face in modern society.
Her debut novel, Forgotten, was long-listed in the 2022 Hawkeye Manuscript Development Competition and was released on 26th July, 2024. Her newest release, Five Stages of Grace, was short-listed in the 2025 Hawkeye Manuscript Development Competition and is set to be released 1st May, 2026.
She lives in the bayside suburbs of Melbourne with her husband and three children, of whom she’s quite fond.
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always loved writing and storytelling and I’ve dabbled with writing novels in the past but they never made it past a rough draft. I don’t think I could have written the books that I’m writing now when I was younger. I needed a bit life experience under my belt to enrich my storytelling.
Books are a staple ingredient in my life. I love the escapism that reading gives me as I immerse myself in a made-up world, that feels completely real. If I can give a reader that experience, then I’ve done my job.
What prompted you to write 'Five Stages of Grace'?
Five Stages of Grace was born out of my own lived experience with Hodgkin Lymphoma. Diagnosed in 2014, at only 29 years old, it changed my life as I knew it and replaced living with survival.
Five Stages of Grace is not a story built on stereotypes or cliches, and though it is a work of fiction it is deeply rooted in lived experience. This allowed me to tell a story about life stripped back to its rawest moments. The moments where a person’s darkest thoughts can exist and still coalesce with hope. Because hope is what saved me and allowed me to keep a hold of who I was despite being taunted by death.
I was a young woman with a fraction of life lived. I still had dreams. I refused to let cancer take away who I was at my core. My dry wit continued to get a workout even in the most depressing moments. There were many times I laughed so I wouldn’t cry.
This novel also explores how life feels post-cancer. Grief doesn’t simply go away when a patient goes into remission. Grief is an ever-changing reincarnation of love that you learn to carry with you. Even when it’s hard. Even when you feel immobilised by it.
Grief is a universal emotion relatable to anyone who’s ever loved another. In the context of Five Stages of Grace, I hope that this exploration of grief, love and life, will make readers feel less alone in their own pain. And make them laugh a little along the way.
Do you have any more books in the pipeline?
Yes! I’m always marinating on ideas, and they often come to me in the middle of the night which is why I keep a notebook on my bedside table. This is (hopefully) just the beginning of my writing career.
What is your professional background?
I spent ten years working as a Chartered Accountant, working in Melbourne and London, before coming to the conclusion that accounting wasn’t the dream career I’d hoped for. I went on to study health science with a focus on nutrition and health promotion, which I loved. Learning new things has always lit a fire underneath me in the best way. Then, after having my children the urge to write stories intensified and I’ve been working on that in the background for about nine years now.
Any advice you’d like to give aspiring writers?
Keep writing! Showing up regularly at my desk has been important to gain momentum with my writing. There is no perfect time to write so I carve out time whenever I can.
I’ve also learnt that first drafts are woeful – as they should be! Nobody writes a perfect first draft, and I’m now leaning into that more as I write my second book.
Who/what inspires you?
Other writers inspire me all the time, particularly the local Australian writing community. I’ve met the most amazing people who really champion one another. Their willingness to help and support each another is so uplifting, in a business that can typically be quite cut throat and difficult to break into. They motivate me to keep going when it feels hard (which it often does!) and remind me why we’re all doing this. Writing can be quite a lonely endeavour, yet I don’t feel alone thanks to all the friends I’ve made.
What are your hobbies, interests and favourite books?
When I’m not running around after my three kids, I love being creative and making things. Whether it’s cooking or craft, I’m always happiest when I have a little project on the go. My favourite way to start the day is with a Yoga session and a walk along the beach. Those activities let my mind wander and help get my ideas flowing.
Asking me what my favourite book is, is liking asking who my favourite child is! Impossible! I read a wide variety of genres and always have at least two books on the go at any one time. As a teenager I loved Jane Austen and her strong female characters and I’ve never picked up a Jodi Picoult book that I didn’t love. If I need a big warm hug ,my go to is Emily Henry or Marian Keyes.
This year I’ve been consciously reading more books by Australian authors because our home-grown talent is amazing.
How can readers contact you?
