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Every Wild Soul
The winner of the inaugural Australian Fiction Prize, Every Wild Soul is a lyrical and compelling tale of secrets, survival, and the healing power of nature.
On Tasmania's wild and remote Maria Island, eighteen-year-old Min is trying to break free from her controlling, overly protective father, the island's head ranger. Her unlikely ally is Werner, an eccentric, homeless biologist who has always taught her to care for the imperilled natural world around her - even as it sets them against Piers, her father, who has his own plans. When Lucie, a journalist haunted by her family's role in the thylacine's extinction, arrives from London to investigate the island's Tasmanian devil conservation project, she is drawn into the island's rare beauty and mysteries, discovering a community grappling with the tension between progress and preservation, care and control. After a tempestuous storm sees a stranger wash ashore, a chain of events is set in motion that ends in a shocking and mysterious death, only weeks later.
A breathtakingly beautiful and gripping exploration of humanity's connection to the wild - and the hope that can be born from even the darkest of times - Every Wild Soul is an absorbing and evocative exploration of resilience, rewilding and healing, a story with nature and courage at its heart. Perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prodigal Summer, and Wild Dark Shore, it is a vivid and haunting ode to the wild in all of us.
'A heartfelt and intriguing novel set in a wild and beautiful place. A wonderful read.' Favel Parrett
'A tender, aching story of our elemental need for wilderness.' Robyn Mundy
'A sense of wonder for the land and sea pervades this beautifully crafted novel. It is a work of passion and ferocity - also of gentleness - that, in bringing to life the rewilding of an island and the people who live there, offers a spark of hope to us all.' Suzanne Leal
'A thrilling journey into the wildness of landscape and heart, longing and desire, captivity and freedom. Science meets love. Nature meets redemption. Cleverly woven and beautifully written. An intricate portrayal of the fragility of human relationships and the natural world. Lyrical, mysterious, unexpected, Every Wild Soul will bring you closer to nature and the wilderness that hides inside all of us.' Karen Viggers
On Tasmania's wild and remote Maria Island, eighteen-year-old Min is trying to break free from her controlling, overly protective father, the island's head ranger. Her unlikely ally is Werner, an eccentric, homeless biologist who has always taught her to care for the imperilled natural world around her - even as it sets them against Piers, her father, who has his own plans. When Lucie, a journalist haunted by her family's role in the thylacine's extinction, arrives from London to investigate the island's Tasmanian devil conservation project, she is drawn into the island's rare beauty and mysteries, discovering a community grappling with the tension between progress and preservation, care and control. After a tempestuous storm sees a stranger wash ashore, a chain of events is set in motion that ends in a shocking and mysterious death, only weeks later.
A breathtakingly beautiful and gripping exploration of humanity's connection to the wild - and the hope that can be born from even the darkest of times - Every Wild Soul is an absorbing and evocative exploration of resilience, rewilding and healing, a story with nature and courage at its heart. Perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prodigal Summer, and Wild Dark Shore, it is a vivid and haunting ode to the wild in all of us.
'A heartfelt and intriguing novel set in a wild and beautiful place. A wonderful read.' Favel Parrett
'A tender, aching story of our elemental need for wilderness.' Robyn Mundy
'A sense of wonder for the land and sea pervades this beautifully crafted novel. It is a work of passion and ferocity - also of gentleness - that, in bringing to life the rewilding of an island and the people who live there, offers a spark of hope to us all.' Suzanne Leal
'A thrilling journey into the wildness of landscape and heart, longing and desire, captivity and freedom. Science meets love. Nature meets redemption. Cleverly woven and beautifully written. An intricate portrayal of the fragility of human relationships and the natural world. Lyrical, mysterious, unexpected, Every Wild Soul will bring you closer to nature and the wilderness that hides inside all of us.' Karen Viggers
314 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2026
About the author
Katherine Johnson
70 books55 followersTasmanian writer Katherine Johnson is the inaugural winner of The Australian Fiction Prize for her novel Every Wild Soul due out with HarperCollins in April 2026. She is the author of four previous novels: Pescador's Wake (Fourth Estate 2009), The Better Son (Ventura Press 2016), Matryoshka (Ventura Press 2018) and Paris Savages (Ventura Press 2019, Allison and Busby UK 2020, Jimenez Edizioni Italy 2021 - published under the title Selvaggi).
Paris Savages, is based on the true story of three Aboriginal (Badtjala) people from Fraser Island, Queensland, who were transported to Europe in 1882 as ethnographic curiosities. It was shortlisted in the ABIA Awards 2020 and was The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month (July 2020).
The Better Son tells the story of a family yearning for love but layered with secrets, and the price of a lie. Set in northern Tasmania’s cave country, The Better Son won the University of Tasmania Prize in 2013 (Tasmanian Literary Awards), the People's Choice Award (Tasmanian Literary Awards 2013), as well as a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2013. The Better Son was Longlisted for the Australian Indie Book Awards and The Tasmania Book Prize (Premier’s Literary Awards).
Matryoshka is set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania and tells the story of secrets, refuge, and loves lost and found.
Pescador's Wake, set on the Southern Ocean and in Tasmania and Uruguay, won a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2007.
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Katherine Johnson now lives in Tasmania where she also works as a science journalist. Her non-fiction articles have been published in Good Weekend (Sydney Morning Herald), Ecos, The Conversation, Australasian Science, Island and Forty South.
Katherine Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism), an honours degree in marine science and a PhD in creative writing. She is an Adjunct Researcher at the University of Tasmania, where she has taught creative writing and works in alumni communications.
Paris Savages, is based on the true story of three Aboriginal (Badtjala) people from Fraser Island, Queensland, who were transported to Europe in 1882 as ethnographic curiosities. It was shortlisted in the ABIA Awards 2020 and was The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month (July 2020).
The Better Son tells the story of a family yearning for love but layered with secrets, and the price of a lie. Set in northern Tasmania’s cave country, The Better Son won the University of Tasmania Prize in 2013 (Tasmanian Literary Awards), the People's Choice Award (Tasmanian Literary Awards 2013), as well as a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2013. The Better Son was Longlisted for the Australian Indie Book Awards and The Tasmania Book Prize (Premier’s Literary Awards).
Matryoshka is set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania and tells the story of secrets, refuge, and loves lost and found.
Pescador's Wake, set on the Southern Ocean and in Tasmania and Uruguay, won a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2007.
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Katherine Johnson now lives in Tasmania where she also works as a science journalist. Her non-fiction articles have been published in Good Weekend (Sydney Morning Herald), Ecos, The Conversation, Australasian Science, Island and Forty South.
Katherine Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism), an honours degree in marine science and a PhD in creative writing. She is an Adjunct Researcher at the University of Tasmania, where she has taught creative writing and works in alumni communications.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Did Not Finish
May 10, 2026DNF @ 22%—The book was so good at the start!🥲 The first chapter was all about the location of the story—real-life Maria Island on Tasmania’s eastern coast. The author described the island with such gorgeous prose that my arms were just covered in goosebumps! I was aching to be there, on this beautiful island that’s a national park; no cars allowed. Its pristine environment is renowned as a sanctuary for wildlife and the best place in Tasmania for bird-watching, earning it the nickname, “Noah's Ark of Australia”. The island’s 200-year-old prison is a UNESCO World Heritage site and, walking along the coastline, spectacular sandstone rock pools are found, rich in amazing marine life at low tide. At the same spot are the famous Painted Cliffs and ancient fossil beds to explore. As you might imagine, I was absolutely captivated!🥰
And then… the focus changed in the next chapter, and suddenly it was all about the ranger’s teenage daughter who, apparently, had never seen a boy/man her age and was now lusting for the experience.🙄 Those beautiful, natural, wild descriptions were gone, and I found myself in the middle of a sappy, cheesy romance. The text had become altogether too “precious” for my liking and, though I tried a little longer, I just couldn’t take another minute of it. It was a stunning disappointment, after such a wonderful start! UGH!!😖
I should note, however, that it seems to be quite a well-written book, and I'm certain many people will love it—women especially. It simply wasn't the right fit for me. I have two others by this author (The Better Son and Paris Savages) and if I feel like reading them someday, I won't let this stop me.
“There’s–no–robber–worse–than–a–bad–book”
And then… the focus changed in the next chapter, and suddenly it was all about the ranger’s teenage daughter who, apparently, had never seen a boy/man her age and was now lusting for the experience.🙄 Those beautiful, natural, wild descriptions were gone, and I found myself in the middle of a sappy, cheesy romance. The text had become altogether too “precious” for my liking and, though I tried a little longer, I just couldn’t take another minute of it. It was a stunning disappointment, after such a wonderful start! UGH!!😖
I should note, however, that it seems to be quite a well-written book, and I'm certain many people will love it—women especially. It simply wasn't the right fit for me. I have two others by this author (The Better Son and Paris Savages) and if I feel like reading them someday, I won't let this stop me.
“There’s–no–robber–worse–than–a–bad–book”
April 25, 2026
Every Wild Soul by Katherine Johnson captured my imagination and transported me back to the wild beauty of Maria Island, off the coast of Tasmania. Through lyrical descriptions and an evocative sense of place, the novel highlights the quiet but powerful pull of nature—something that calls to us if we’re willing to listen.
At its heart, the story weaves together themes of loss, extinction, and the fragile hope of rewilding. It follows two women, Lucie and Min, both searching for identity and purpose. Lucie dreams of writing for The Times, while Min is only beginning to understand herself as she explores the untamed landscape of the island. Their journeys feel deeply personal, yet are grounded in broader environmental questions.
Johnson connects local and global efforts—from the return of storks in the UK and wolves in France to the preservation of Tasmanian devils in Australia—prompting an important question: can we truly reverse the damage that has been done, and if so, how far should we go? Or is our energy better spent protecting what still remains?
Ultimately, this is also a story of resilience—of both people and the natural world. The novel reminds us that while loss is inevitable, there is still strength in survival and renewal.
One particularly haunting moment captures this beautifully:
“One of the lyrebird’s distant relatives must have learned the call and passed it down to its offspring. It was the loneliest sound Lucie had ever heard, the echo of an extinct species still ringing out in the wilderness, like the memory of a person who had died.”
Equally vivid is Johnson’s portrayal of Tasmania itself:
“But here in Tasmania, the ocean was served on ice and was gin-clear. Here the sand was snow-white and the rocks crusted with lichen as orange as marigolds.”
These passages encapsulate the novel’s ability to balance beauty with melancholy, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page
This is a beautiful reflection of nature and the place we play in it. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Thank you Harper Collins Australia for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The book was a gift but opinions are all my own.
At its heart, the story weaves together themes of loss, extinction, and the fragile hope of rewilding. It follows two women, Lucie and Min, both searching for identity and purpose. Lucie dreams of writing for The Times, while Min is only beginning to understand herself as she explores the untamed landscape of the island. Their journeys feel deeply personal, yet are grounded in broader environmental questions.
Johnson connects local and global efforts—from the return of storks in the UK and wolves in France to the preservation of Tasmanian devils in Australia—prompting an important question: can we truly reverse the damage that has been done, and if so, how far should we go? Or is our energy better spent protecting what still remains?
Ultimately, this is also a story of resilience—of both people and the natural world. The novel reminds us that while loss is inevitable, there is still strength in survival and renewal.
One particularly haunting moment captures this beautifully:
“One of the lyrebird’s distant relatives must have learned the call and passed it down to its offspring. It was the loneliest sound Lucie had ever heard, the echo of an extinct species still ringing out in the wilderness, like the memory of a person who had died.”
Equally vivid is Johnson’s portrayal of Tasmania itself:
“But here in Tasmania, the ocean was served on ice and was gin-clear. Here the sand was snow-white and the rocks crusted with lichen as orange as marigolds.”
These passages encapsulate the novel’s ability to balance beauty with melancholy, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page
This is a beautiful reflection of nature and the place we play in it. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Thank you Harper Collins Australia for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The book was a gift but opinions are all my own.
May 10, 2026
Maria Island (it’s pronounced Mariah, like the singer) is an isolated island off the east coast of Tasmania: a wildlife sanctuary known for its incredible landscapes. It’s also the setting for this debut novel that feels like Where The Crawdads Sing if it had been written by Charlotte McConaghy.
Miranda is at the heart of this story. The teenage daughter of the Head Ranger, a naïve and sheltered young woman guided by a love of literature. She’s grown up on the island, raised by her extremely controlling father who has restricted her access to the outside world. She only knows the handful of people who also live on the island.
But two things are about to change her life. A boating accident means a handsome young man literally washes up on shore. And a journalist comes from London to report on the introduction of endangered Tasmanian Devils to the island.
Poetically written, this is a love letter to nature and conservation which also weaves in projects to rewild wolves in France, reintroduce storks to England and reforest parts of China.
If I’m honest this wasn’t 100% a book for me. I felt like it was trying to do a lot and needed more focus. The plot often took a backseat to the environmental elements and the characters felt under-developed. But if you liked the books I mentioned above, you may well like this too. The sense of place was amazing.
Miranda is at the heart of this story. The teenage daughter of the Head Ranger, a naïve and sheltered young woman guided by a love of literature. She’s grown up on the island, raised by her extremely controlling father who has restricted her access to the outside world. She only knows the handful of people who also live on the island.
But two things are about to change her life. A boating accident means a handsome young man literally washes up on shore. And a journalist comes from London to report on the introduction of endangered Tasmanian Devils to the island.
Poetically written, this is a love letter to nature and conservation which also weaves in projects to rewild wolves in France, reintroduce storks to England and reforest parts of China.
If I’m honest this wasn’t 100% a book for me. I felt like it was trying to do a lot and needed more focus. The plot often took a backseat to the environmental elements and the characters felt under-developed. But if you liked the books I mentioned above, you may well like this too. The sense of place was amazing.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Fellow readers I have a new favourite book to urge you to read!
Every Wild Soul is the latest book by Tasmanian author Katherine Johnson. I enjoyed reading her last book Paris Savages so I was beyond excited to receive a copy of Every Wild Soul.
Set on remote Maria Island off the Tasmanian coast eighteen-year-old Min is living a sheltered life under the watchful eye of her controlling father who is the head ranger. Min has limited contact with the world and people beyond the island with Werner a homeless biologist one of her few friends and the source of her understanding about the animals that live around them. On the other side of the world in London former Tasmanian Lucie has a breakthrough in her journalistic career and soon finds herself on Maria Island to report on a conservation project. She becomes drawn into the island’s inhabitants and their plans. Alongside this there is a storm and a young man washes ashore and is saved by Min.
I felt deeply for Min who is so unworldly and desperate to break free. And Lucie was a beautiful character too. I’m not entirely sure I was on board with the actions of some of the characters towards the end but honestly, I just adored the storyline overall and I could forgive some minor things.
This book was an absolute joy to read - full of nature, rewilding projects, animals, love of the environment, seeing the beauty in the natural world. There were storks, Tasmanian devils (and thylacines!) and kelp. I honestly cannot get enough of books that focus so beautifully on the natural world and its preservation. Every Wild Soul reminds me of other incredible books by authors such as Charlotte McConaghy, Robbie Arnott, Erin Hortle, Holly Ringland. And Tasmanian authors wow are they having a moment!
This was a beautiful piece of writing that celebrates human connection with nature and the desire to rewild and bring back some of what has already been lost. I felt this book deeply and highly recommend it. I hope that it gets lots of love!
Thank you @harpercollinsaustralia for my #gifted copy.
Every Wild Soul is the latest book by Tasmanian author Katherine Johnson. I enjoyed reading her last book Paris Savages so I was beyond excited to receive a copy of Every Wild Soul.
Set on remote Maria Island off the Tasmanian coast eighteen-year-old Min is living a sheltered life under the watchful eye of her controlling father who is the head ranger. Min has limited contact with the world and people beyond the island with Werner a homeless biologist one of her few friends and the source of her understanding about the animals that live around them. On the other side of the world in London former Tasmanian Lucie has a breakthrough in her journalistic career and soon finds herself on Maria Island to report on a conservation project. She becomes drawn into the island’s inhabitants and their plans. Alongside this there is a storm and a young man washes ashore and is saved by Min.
I felt deeply for Min who is so unworldly and desperate to break free. And Lucie was a beautiful character too. I’m not entirely sure I was on board with the actions of some of the characters towards the end but honestly, I just adored the storyline overall and I could forgive some minor things.
This book was an absolute joy to read - full of nature, rewilding projects, animals, love of the environment, seeing the beauty in the natural world. There were storks, Tasmanian devils (and thylacines!) and kelp. I honestly cannot get enough of books that focus so beautifully on the natural world and its preservation. Every Wild Soul reminds me of other incredible books by authors such as Charlotte McConaghy, Robbie Arnott, Erin Hortle, Holly Ringland. And Tasmanian authors wow are they having a moment!
This was a beautiful piece of writing that celebrates human connection with nature and the desire to rewild and bring back some of what has already been lost. I felt this book deeply and highly recommend it. I hope that it gets lots of love!
Thank you @harpercollinsaustralia for my #gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a tender, complex, multi-layered story about so many things – nature, ethics, love, betrayal, history, science and nature – that are intricately woven into a powerful, resonant and timely story. Compellingly and powerfully, the novel explores what it means to be human, and how humans treat animals and the environment, opening up complicated, troubling ideas beautifully and with nuance, so that each idea, truth or ethical dilemma illuminates, in some way, another idea. There’s an intriguing, gently unfolding crime plot as well.
As a Tasmanian, I thought the landscape of Maria Island is gorgeously and accurately written. Tasmania has a muted colour palate, I often think, but this novel shines a light on it, illuminating the raw, rugged beauty, the ocean and forest, the beaches and sky, and the creatures who live there, making them shine with kaleidoscopic colour. I was entranced by the scientists and the lengths they go to and their determined ambition to rewild endangered animals from Tasmanian devils to English storks. We have so much to learn. An exquisite marvel of a book.
As a Tasmanian, I thought the landscape of Maria Island is gorgeously and accurately written. Tasmania has a muted colour palate, I often think, but this novel shines a light on it, illuminating the raw, rugged beauty, the ocean and forest, the beaches and sky, and the creatures who live there, making them shine with kaleidoscopic colour. I was entranced by the scientists and the lengths they go to and their determined ambition to rewild endangered animals from Tasmanian devils to English storks. We have so much to learn. An exquisite marvel of a book.
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May 8, 2026A massive thanks to HarperCollins for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
Every Wild Soul is a book with a deep connection to nature. It’s about conservation, seeing the beauty in the environment and disconnecting from the oppressively overconnected and fast paced modern society. The passion the author has for the small Tasmanian Island setting was apparent, it leeched through the pages in a refreshing way!
Following dual storylines of a young woman isolated and suffocating under the oppressive control of her father, and a freelance reporter feeling lost within her own marriage, the story focused heavily on finding yourself and the freedom to unleash the wildness within.
There was a big event that had been built up to near the end of the novel that I would have enjoyed the emotional repercussions for the characters to have been explored more, but maybe I’m just used to books being self-indulgent in their page counts.
Overall a tenderly written new Australian novel about reconnecting with nature and oneself, that ends with one of the characters maybe not entirely healed, and maybe that’s okay.
Every Wild Soul is a book with a deep connection to nature. It’s about conservation, seeing the beauty in the environment and disconnecting from the oppressively overconnected and fast paced modern society. The passion the author has for the small Tasmanian Island setting was apparent, it leeched through the pages in a refreshing way!
Following dual storylines of a young woman isolated and suffocating under the oppressive control of her father, and a freelance reporter feeling lost within her own marriage, the story focused heavily on finding yourself and the freedom to unleash the wildness within.
There was a big event that had been built up to near the end of the novel that I would have enjoyed the emotional repercussions for the characters to have been explored more, but maybe I’m just used to books being self-indulgent in their page counts.
Overall a tenderly written new Australian novel about reconnecting with nature and oneself, that ends with one of the characters maybe not entirely healed, and maybe that’s okay.
May 12, 2026
If you want to get philosophical and find deep meaning in the telling of the story you will not be disappointed. If you want to read and be transported into the story you will not be disappointed.
It isn't often you will find coming of age and a life changing stories woven together successfully. This is one.
I gave it 5 stars because it kept me reading. As you read if you decide the characters stories are clichés then you will miss the true beauty of words and the message the story tells.
Open your mind and look through Min's, Lucie's, and Werner's eyes. Feel what they are seeing and thinking.
Take three breaths slowly.
It isn't often you will find coming of age and a life changing stories woven together successfully. This is one.
I gave it 5 stars because it kept me reading. As you read if you decide the characters stories are clichés then you will miss the true beauty of words and the message the story tells.
Open your mind and look through Min's, Lucie's, and Werner's eyes. Feel what they are seeing and thinking.
Take three breaths slowly.
May 9, 2026
Oh my. What a glorious book. Katherine Johnson gets the perfect balance of character, plot and setting for a wonderfully rich reading experience. Complex, flawed characters, an intriguing plot that ebbs and flows with tension and the stunning descriptions of the natural world.
May 5, 2026
Compassionate and beautiful mwah 👌
May 14, 2026
3.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Every Wild Soul is the deserving inaugural winner of the Australian Fiction Prize. An aching, tender story set on Tasmania’s Maria Island, this is a page-turning mystery, a coming of age tale of a young woman suppressed by an overly protective father, and a tribute to the fragility and wonder of the natural world.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews