Professor Kim Wilkins
Professor

Kim Wilkins

Email: 

Background

Kim Wilkins is a humanities researcher and acclaimed creative writer who specialises in the intersection of creativity, technology, and cultural industries. Currently Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at UQ, she leads innovative research into the socio-material dimensions of creative industries and the application of creative thinking to complex technological challenges.

Her research portfolio spans popular fiction studies, publishing ecosystems, and technology foresight. Recent projects include pioneering work on speculative fiction storytelling for defence innovation, community publishing in regional Australia, and the application of "story thinking" to anticipate technological impacts. She serves as a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts.

As a creative practitioner, Wilkins has published 30+ novels in 20+ languages, including bestselling historical fiction and fantasy series. Her dual expertise as both researcher and professional writer uniquely positions her to bridge academic inquiry with industry practice, particularly in areas of creativity research, reading and book culture, the future of publishing, and transdisciplinary innovation.

Availability

Professor Kim Wilkins is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Creative Arts and Writing Creative and professional writing Language, Communication and Culture Literary studies

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Research), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Creative practice

  • Popular fiction

  • Publishing and book culture

  • Storytelling, creativity, and the imaginaton

Search Professor Kim Wilkins’s works on UQ eSpace

80 works between 2000 and 2025
All (80) Journal Article (20) Book Chapter (11) Conference Publication (1) Book (6) Other Outputs (42)

21 - 40 of 80 works

2019

Journal Article

Viking tattoos of Instagram: Runes and contemporary identities

Bennett, Lisa and Wilkins, Kim (2019). Viking tattoos of Instagram: Runes and contemporary identities. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 26 (5-6), 135485651987241-1314. doi: 10.1177/1354856519872413

Viking tattoos of Instagram: Runes and contemporary identities

2019

Journal Article

Horns: vikings, adaptation, evolution

Wilkins, Kim (2019). Horns: vikings, adaptation, evolution. Studies in Medievalism, 28.

Horns: vikings, adaptation, evolution

2019

Journal Article

"Strange Companies": the Northman in popular historical fiction

Bennett, Lisa and Wilkins, Kim (2019). "Strange Companies": the Northman in popular historical fiction. Journal of Historical Fictions, 2 (1), 1-17.

"Strange Companies": the Northman in popular historical fiction

2019

Other Outputs

Queens of the sea

Wilkins, Kim (2019). Queens of the sea. Sydney, Australia: HarperCollins.

Queens of the sea

2018

Journal Article

Genre worlds and popular fiction: the case of twenty-first-century Australian romance

Fletcher, Lisa, Driscoll, Beth and Wilkins, Kim (2018). Genre worlds and popular fiction: the case of twenty-first-century Australian romance. Journal of Popular Culture, 51 (4), 997-1015. doi: 10.1111/jpcu.12706

Genre worlds and popular fiction: the case of twenty-first-century Australian romance

2018

Journal Article

The publishing ecosystems of contemporary australian genre fiction

Driscoll, Beth, Fletcher, Lisa, Wilkins, Kim and Carter, David (2018). The publishing ecosystems of contemporary australian genre fiction. Creative Industries Journal, 11 (2), 203-221. doi: 10.1080/17510694.2018.1480851

The publishing ecosystems of contemporary australian genre fiction

2017

Journal Article

'A crowd at your back': fantasy fandom and small press

Wilkins, Kim (2017). 'A crowd at your back': fantasy fandom and small press. Media International Australia Incorporating Culture and Policy: Quarterly Journal of Media Research and Resources, 170 (1), 1329878X1774352-125. doi: 10.1177/1329878X17743524

'A crowd at your back': fantasy fandom and small press

2017

Journal Article

Writing time: Coleridge, creativity, and commerce

Wilkins, Kim (2017). Writing time: Coleridge, creativity, and commerce. Text, 41

Writing time: Coleridge, creativity, and commerce

2017

Other Outputs

Stars across the ocean

Freeman, Kimberley (2017). Stars across the ocean. Sydney, Australia: Hachette Australia.

Stars across the ocean

2017

Other Outputs

The silver well

Forsyth, Kate and Wilkins, Kim (2017). The silver well. Perth, Australia: Ticonderoga Publications.

The silver well

2017

Other Outputs

Odin's girl

Wilkins, Kim (2017). Odin's girl. Hornsea, United Kingdom: PS Publishing.

Odin's girl

2016

Journal Article

“Ravished by Vikings”: the pre-modern and the paranormal in Viking romance fiction

Wilkins, Kim (2016). “Ravished by Vikings”: the pre-modern and the paranormal in Viking romance fiction. Journal of Popular Romance Studies, 5 (2), 1-13.

“Ravished by Vikings”: the pre-modern and the paranormal in Viking romance fiction

2016

Book Chapter

Pagan places: contemporary paganism, British fantasy fiction, and the case of Ryhope Wood

Wilkins, Kim (2016). Pagan places: contemporary paganism, British fantasy fiction, and the case of Ryhope Wood. Popular fiction and spatiality reading genre settings. (pp. 109-123) edited by Lisa Fletcher. New York, NY, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-56902-8_8

Pagan places: contemporary paganism, British fantasy fiction, and the case of Ryhope Wood

2016

Other Outputs

In Hornhead Wood

Wilkins, Kim (2016). In Hornhead Wood. Dreaming in the Dark. edited by Jack Dann. Hornsea, United Kingdom: PostScript.

In Hornhead Wood

2016

Book Chapter

Women, Akubras and ereaders: romance fiction and Australian publishing

Driscoll, Beth, Fletcher, Lisa and Wilkins, Kim (2016). Women, Akubras and ereaders: romance fiction and Australian publishing. The return of print? Contemporary Australian publishing. (pp. 67-87) edited by Aaron Mannion and Emmett Stinson. Melbourne: Monash University Publishing.

Women, Akubras and ereaders: romance fiction and Australian publishing

2016

Book Chapter

From Middle Earth to Westeros: medievalism, proliferation and paratextuality

Wilkins, Kim (2016). From Middle Earth to Westeros: medievalism, proliferation and paratextuality. New directions in popular fiction genre, distribution, reproduction. (pp. 201-221) edited by Ken Gelder. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-52346-4_10

From Middle Earth to Westeros: medievalism, proliferation and paratextuality

2016

Other Outputs

Sisters of the fire

Wilkins, Kim (2016). Sisters of the fire. Sydney, Australia: Harlequin Mira.

Sisters of the fire

2014

Other Outputs

The engagement party

Freeman, Kimberley (2014). The engagement party. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Hachette Livre Australia.

The engagement party

2014

Other Outputs

9 fathom deep

Wilkins, Kim and Diskett, Joseph (2014). 9 fathom deep. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Story City.

9 fathom deep

2014

Journal Article

Valhallolz: medievalist humor on the internet

Wilkins, Kim (2014). Valhallolz: medievalist humor on the internet. Postmedieval, 5 (2), 199-214. doi: 10.1057/pmed.2014.14

Valhallolz: medievalist humor on the internet

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Community Publishing in Regional Australia (ARC Linkage Project administered by The University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022
    The Ursula Project: Speculative Fiction techniques for technology foresight
    Commonwealth Defence Science and Technology Group
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    Defence Innovation Bridge
    The Defence Innovation Bridge Program
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Genre worlds: Australian popular fiction in the 21st century
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2014
    The AustLit Resource: supporting research in studies of Australian literary and narrative cultures
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Humanities in the digital age: infrastructure for Australian literary studies, publishing studies, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    Digital humanities practice in Australian literary studies: data development, structural enhancement and open access innovation - Austlit phase 4
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2009
    Reimagining female agency in Australian popular medievalism
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Medievalism in Australian popular fiction
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Kim Wilkins is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mechanics of Imagination: Arthur Coghlan and Generative AI in Creative Nonfiction

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Leah Henrickson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Creative writing and the creation of a new Australian novel genre

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Helen Marshall

  • Master Philosophy

    The Remake: Generation Loss Across Iterations of Invasion of the Body Snatchers

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Venero Armanno

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Connecting Children with Nature Through Fiction

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Richard Newsome

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Realness of Unreal Things: A Model for Writing Speculative Fiction Memoir

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Tom Doig, Associate Professor Helen Marshall

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Design Fixation and its Impact on Creative Thinking in Primary School Students

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Ben Matthews

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Start with a Bang: The Critical Nature of Perilous Beginnings in Australian Crime Fiction Writing and Publishing.

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Venero Armanno

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Kim Wilkins directly for media enquiries about:

  • Bestsellers and book culture
  • Creativity and the imagination
  • Fantasy fiction
  • Popular fiction
  • Writing and publishing

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au