Dylin Hardcastle

Dr Dylin Hardcastle

Education

  • UNSW

    2021 – 2025

    PhD in Creative Writing

  • Oxford University

    2019

    Research Assistant to Professor Elleke Boehmer

  • Oxford University

    2018

    Provost’s Scholar at Worcester College

  • Sydney University

    2012 – 2017

    Bachelor of Visual Arts with Honours

Publications

  • The Ashes

    Coming 2028 A novel, literary fiction

    The Ashes has been acquired by Picador (ANZ) and Dutton / Penguin Random House (North America) for publication in 2028, with more territories to follow.

  • Queerphoria

    2025 Multi-author anthology

    Queerphoria is a queer-authored, charity anthology published by Verve Books in support of Switchboard.

  • A Language of Limbs

    2024 / 2025 A novel, literary fiction

    A Language of Limbs was published in 2024 by Picador (ANZ), and in 2025 by Dutton / Penguin Random House (North America), Verve Books (UK) and Amorf Kitap (Türkiye).

    The audiobook was published by Bolinda Audio (ANZ) and W. F. Howes (world).

  • The Other Side: A Case for Monstrosity

    2025 Essay

    The Other Side: a case for monstrosity was published in Griffith Review, Issue 89, Here Be Monsters.

  • Where the Voices Aren’t

    2020 Essay

    Where the Voices Aren’t: moral accountability at the end of the earth was published in Griffith Review, Issue 67, Matters of Trust.

  • Below Deck

    2020 A novel, literary fiction

    Below Deck was published to critical acclaim in ten territories and translated into seven languages.

    The audiobook was published by Wavesound.

  • Breathing Under Water

    2016 A novel, young adult

    Breathing Under Water was published by Hachette (ANZ), and Bolinda Audio.

  • Running Like China

    2015 Memoir

    Running Like China was published by Hachette (ANZ), and Bolinda Audio.

Screen Productions

  • A Language of Limbs

    Limited series / TV, drama

    A Language of Limbs has been optioned by Curio (Sony Pictures) and is in development for a limited series for television. Dylin is the lead screenwriter and an Executive Producer.

  • Hollow

    Feature film, horror

    Hollow has been optioned by Goalpost Pictures and is at financing. Dylin co-wrote Hollow with Ziggy Ramo.

  • Cloudy River

    1 × 48 min and 6 × 8 min series for SBS

    Cloudy River was produced by Confidante Pictures, with support from Queer Screen and principal funding from Screen Australia. Cloudy River premiered at Mardi Gras Film Festival in February 2020, before being acquired by SBS On Demand, where it was showcased as part of their Rainbow Collection. Dylin co-wrote and co-directed Cloudy River with Charlie Ford.

Artist Residencies

  • HANGAR Centre of Artistic Research, Portugal, 2025
  • Chimu Expedition Artist-In-Residence, Antarctica & Patagonia, 2017
  • Rail Europe, Artist-In-Residence, France & Switzerland, 2016

Awards & Prizes

A Language of Limbs

  • Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, 2026
  • TIME 100 Must-Read Books of 2025
  • USA Today, Best 15 Books of 2025
  • Longlisted for The Stella Prize, 2025
  • Longlisted for the Voss Literary Prize, 2025
  • Shortlisted for Dymocks Book of the Year, 2024
  • Spotify Breakout Author, 2024
  • Spotify Best Fiction Audiobooks of 2024
  • Winner of the Kathleen Mitchell Award presented by Creative Australia, 2023

Breathing Under Water

  • Longlisted for the Australia Indie Book Awards, 2016
  • One of Triple J’s ‘25 Under 25’ (2015)

Academic awards

  • Winner of the Rebecca West Estate Essay Prize, presented by Oxford University, 2018
  • Provost’s Scholar, First Class Honours (90), Worcester College, Oxford University, 2018
  • First Class Honours and Academic Merit Award, Sydney University, 2017
  • Zonta Scholarship for Women in the Arts, 2014
  • NSW Premier’s Medal for Academic Excellence, 2011

International Conferences & Public Speaking

Academic

Multispecies Storytelling in Intermedial Practices Conference at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. Dylin’s paper, “Last Chance to Hear”, examined the potential of contemporary sound art to articulate the voices of the nonhuman.

Author

Dylin has appeared at numerous international writers’ festivals, on national radio programs such as BBC Breakfast Radio, ABC Radio National’s The Bookshelf, and Triple J’s Hack program. Festival highlights include Edinburgh International Book Festival (2025) and Sydney Writers’ Festival (2025 and 2020). Dylin has spoken to over 10,000 students in schools and universities across Australia and the UK. In 2017, Dylin was a World Mental Health Ambassador.