A woman with long wavy hair and a nose ring smiling, standing against a stone wall, next to a colorful book cover titled 'The World Beneath Her Feet' by Holly Ringland, with a white circle on top indicating 'Coming September 2026'.
A woman with long wavy hair and a nose ring smiling, standing against a stone wall, next to a colorful book cover titled 'The World Beneath Her Feet' by Holly Ringland, with a white circle on top indicating 'Coming September 2026'.

Hi, I’m Holly Ringland.


The international bestselling author of two novels, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, and The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, one work of non-fiction – The House That Joy Built – and my forthcoming novel,
The World Beneath Her Feet.


I write stories about beauty, grief, courage and belonging β€” and the mysterious ways we find our way home to ourselves, each other, and the natural world. Welcome.

Start here:







Or scroll on, and I’ll show you around.

Coming this September:

Book cover of 'The Wild Silence' by Holly Ringland featuring colorful, swirling abstract background with three black and white birds at the top.

Dear reader, meet Maggie Byrd.

β€˜It will never be like this again.’
She looked up. He met her eye.
β€˜You’ll never love anyone the way you do when you’re sixteen.’

In her late thirties, Maggie Byrd lives a charmed life in London. She works with fossils and gems at the Natural History Museum, and shares a home with the two people she loves most: her best friend, Harriet, and her partner, Joe. However, beneath this carefully constructed facade lies a past Maggie buried deep inside herself and resolved never to unearth: the story of a guilt-ridden, heartbroken girl who left Australia in her early twenties and swore never to return.

Bordering a town famous for its rare opalised fossil discoveries, the land lies near a volcanic lake rumoured to be cursed, and a sacred, ephemeral tea-tree swamp. It is land rich with living culture, and home to an abundance of native flora and fauna. And it’s long been sought after by developers, willing to pay any price. In the nineties, this wild, vivid place also shaped Maggie when she was an angry, lost teenager. It was her home and sanctuary, where she experienced the intoxicating powers and limitations of friendship, first love, desire and loyalty - until she betrayed everyone she loved there and fled. When the same land that Maggie turned her back on comes into her care, she is forced to face what we all cannot bury, abandon or forget.

The World Beneath Her Feet is a luminous novel about belonging, memory, time, first love, and what it takes to come home to ourselves and each other.

All my books at a glance:

✷

Collectively, my books have been published in 30+ territories, sold over 600,000 copies, and been adapted for screen by Prime Video. Mindblown.

✷ Collectively, my books have been published in 30+ territories, sold over 600,000 copies, and been adapted for screen by Prime Video. Mindblown.

Words about my books*

*that still make me well up

  • Ringland's storytelling is driven by an undimmed sense of wonder at the darkness and light, the damage and love in people.

    β€” SYDNEY MORNING HERALD on The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

  • This intercontinental journey into joy, grief, nature and magic confirms Holly Ringland as one of Australia’s most precious, life-changing storytellers.

    β€” BOOKTOPIA on The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding

  • A non-fiction masterpiece… encourages readers to reflect on their fears and grant themselves permission to create and feel joy… you’ll find sanctuary in this book.

    β€” APPLE BOOK REVIEWS on The House That Joy Built

In my own words…

As a writer, I’m drawn to the ways joy, beauty and connection help us survive, remember, create, mend and begin again. My work often explores nature, longing, the things we can’t bear to say, and the invisible threads that bind us to landscapes, and each other.

Despite knowing I wanted to be a writer at three years old – when my amazing mum taught me to read – I spent years of my life too afraid to write, for many reasons. This didn’t change until I reached a point in my thirties when not writing became more painful than the fear of writing.

I’ve been a full-time writer for over a decade now. Everything I write – novels, non-fiction, poetry, essays – is for anyone trying or wanting to find more wonder, joy, creativity, grace, courage and connection.

My work on screen:

A group of six women, varying in age, posing in a lush, green floral indoor setting with vintage lamps and furniture. The women are dressed in casual and bohemian attire, with some standing and some seated. There are yellow flowers and green plants surrounding them, and sunlight streams through a large window in the background. The title 'The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart' is prominently displayed.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

The award-winning, 7-episode series adaptation of my debut novel, streaming on Prime Video, starring Sigourney Weaver.

Two people, a woman with blonde hair and tattoos on her arm and a man with gray hair, standing in a lush green forest. The woman wears a green sweater with a butterfly pin and light green pants. The man wears a green jacket and jeans. They are looking slightly upward. Text overlay: 'Back to Nature, Listen to Country, Hear Its Stories' with a leaf graphic.

Back to Nature

The critically-acclaimed 8-episode nature and story series I co-hosted with Aaron Pedersen, streaming on the ABC.

Welcome to The Joy Rise:

Letters for creative courage and connection from my desk to you.

A cluttered indoor workspace with a wooden desk filled with notebooks, papers, pens, and a computer keyboard. The background shows a wide window with curtain drapes, decorated with various potted plants, flowers, and decorative items. The upper part of the room has red acoustic panels, fairy lights, and hanging decorations including butterflies and a portrait.

The Joy Rise is my online community, where I write to you about creativity, courage, beauty, fear, and the messy work of making a joyous, resilient life. It’s where I connect with my readers, share first-to-know news, and answer questions about my books and creative process.

Events & Speaking

Australian readers, save the date!

I’m going on national book tour in September 2026 to celebrate The World Beneath Her Feet – I so hope you can join me!

A book cover titled 'The World Beneath Our Feet' by Holly Ringland. The cover features a colorful abstract background with hues of yellow, green, purple, orange, and blue. There are three black and white birds perched on a branch on the upper right side of the cover.

I also speak at festivals, conferences, bookshops and literary events about fiction, creativity, nature, place, adaptation, transformation, courage, and connection.

A woman with long wavy hair and tattoos on her arm, dressed in an orange dress, reading a book at the BrontΓ« Women's Writing Festival, with a banner in the background that displays the festival dates and logo.
A woman with long wavy hair and tattoos on her arm, dressed in an orange dress, reading a book at the BrontΓ« Women's Writing Festival, with a banner in the background that displays the festival dates and logo.
β€œThere are few people in the literary world like Holly Ringland. Over years of curating events and interviewing authors from around the world β€” from Margaret Atwood and Colum McCann to Robyn Davidson and many others β€” I’ve witnessed countless ways audiences connect with writers. What happens between Holly and her audiences is something entirely her own: generous, moving and rare. What she creates and offers is a cultural force for good.”
— Michaela Kalowski, Literary Festival interlocutor
β€œThe Holly Ringland Effect is real. Holly has that star power that can transform and transfix a room, leaving a lasting impression on audiences well beyond the end of the book-signing line. When Holly steps onto the stage, she lights it up with her boundless joy, honesty and divine feminine energy. They delight in her words – they laugh, cry happy tears, and breathe in unison with her.”
— Sian Baker, Artistic Director, Margaret River Readers’ and Writers’ Festival

Thank you for supporting my work.

I don’t get to be the author I am without my readers. I’m deeply grateful for your engagement with my writing.

The word 'Holly' written in black cursive handwriting.
A woman with long brown hair and a green jacket is kneeling on the street, smiling and holding a small, curly-haired golden retriever puppy in her arms while the puppy stands on the ground. The woman appears to be happy and interacting with the puppy.