Kate Liston-Mills, is the author of The Waterfowl Are Drunk! (2016), Dear Ibis (2021) and To Heal a Lyrebird (2025) and is based in Pambula, NSW. She has worked as a journalist for both regional and urban publications and her short stories, reviews and poetry have been published in various Australian journals and anthologies. Kate is a qualified librarian and is deeply motivated by the changing information landscape. An emerging multidisciplinary artist who loves collaborating with other artists, crossing forms, genre and practice, Kate is developing her use of installation, spoken word, soundscape, and visual art to extend upon the written word and help it reach new ears and heights. The book as an art form has always been an interesting medium that Kate believes needs to be extended upon and re-imagined especially in regards to the digital age and our connection to the page. She believes Australia needs to invest more in experimental fiction and literature that pushes the artform.

Kate frequently collaborates with other artists and creatives to develop site-specific and community-focused projects. A former primary school teacher, she has always held a deep respect and affection for young people—their unique perspectives, spontaneity, and optimism continue to inspire her work. This connection is evident throughout her creative practice and advocacy, both on and off the page, and is an area she hopes to expand in future projects.

Kate is often invited to speak on topics such as the creative process, disability and access in the arts, and the value of community building—particularly in regional areas. She works actively in local schools, art festivals, not-for-profit organisations and charities, and contributes to environmental care through ongoing litter collection efforts.

These multidisciplinary ventures reflect her commitment to experimentation, accessibility, and deep engagement with place and practice. The human being can be many things.

Sustaining an Acquired Brain Injury in 2004 which resulted in three haemorrhages, two in her frontal lobe and one in her occipital lobe, Kate has continued to study and work part time, finding much solace and fulfilment in the creative process and gentle activism. She has a Bachelor of Education (Primary), Bachelor of Creative Writing, Freelance Journalism Certificate and Master of Education (Teacher-Librarian). Kate lives on Thaua Country, part of the Yuin Nation, working as a mother, author and artist, librarian, teacher and has recently been the host for Little Fictions On Air, a radio program that showcases the best of Australian short fiction.