Kelly Frost

Kelly Frost
BornJuly 1999 (1999-07) (age 27)
Alma materUniversity College London Lincoln College, University of Oxford
Websitewww.kellyfrostwriter.com

Kelly Frost (born 1999) is a British writer. She is the author of two novels. Her debut The Kings Head (2025) was named a Sunday Times historical fiction book of the year.

Early life and education

Frost grew up in Salisbury and was educated at South Wilts Grammar School. She has an undergraduate degree in English from University College London and a Masters degree in American Literature from the University of Oxford.[1] While at Oxford, she published her writing in Cherwell and was Fiction and Poetry Editor at The Oxonian Review.[2][3]

Career

At 21, she wrote The Kings Head during the Covid pandemic.[4] Atlantic Books won the rights to her "swaggering debut of conflict and camaraderie" in June 2023, with the publishing director for Atlantic Fiction describing it as "one of the most energetic and forceful debuts we've encountered for an age".[5]

The Kings Head was published in February 2025 to widespread acclaim. It was named The Sunday Times historical fiction pick of the month and made their 2025 'best of' historical fiction list.[6][7][8] Times critic Nick Rennison said the novel was "not only a compelling story but also an understated celebration of female friendship and a lament for how it changes over time".[9] The Observer also reviewed the novel, praising Frost's "addictive" descriptions and how she "expertly toys with gender and explores young people’s place in the world".[10] Stylist magazine included The Kings Head in its best new books of 2025 list,[11] and international bestseller Joseph O'Connor chose The Kings Head as one of the best books for summer 2025 in The Irish Times, calling her a "writer to watch".[12]

Her second novel The Racing Line was published in June 2026, also with Atlantic Books.[13] Spanning 1945 to the late 1960s, it tells the story of Winifred 'Freddy' Vaux who pursues a career in the male-dominated world of motorsport. Frost has talked about how she was inspired to write the novel by the stories of female racing pioneers Maria Theresa de Filippis, Rosemary Smith and Lella Lombardi.[14] The Sunday Times once again reviewed Frost's novel, choosing it as pick of the month for June.[15]

Personal life

Frost is a trained journalist and was a reporter in Jersey for two years.[16] She now lives in London.[17]

Works

  • The Kings Head (Atlantic Books, 2025) ISBN 9781805462408.[18]
  • The Racing Line (Atlantic Books, 2026) ISBN 9781805465836.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Kelly Frost". Atlantic Books. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  2. ↑ Frost, Kelly (2022-06-16). "Convibrating bed". Cherwell. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  3. ↑ "Kelly Frost". The Oxonian Review. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  4. ↑ Adopstar (2025-02-08). "A gang of girls ready to fight for their turf and their future". Jersey Evening Post. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  5. ↑ "Atlantic Fiction nabs a 'swaggering debut' about London's 'girl gangs'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  6. ↑ "The Kings Head". The Times Bookshop. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  7. ↑ Senior, Antonia; Rennison, Nick (2025-08-12). "The best historical fiction books of 2025 — Boudicca's daughter falls for a Roman". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  8. ↑ "The Kings Head". Atlantic Books. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  9. ↑ Rennison, Nick (2 February 2025). "Historical Fiction Round-Up: The Kings Head by Kelly Frost". The Sunday Times, Culture magazine. p. 28.
  10. ↑ Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (2025-02-23). "The Kings Head by Kelly Frost review – jocular story of street-fighting sisters". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  11. ↑ "26 must-read books that will be massive this year, according to literary insiders". www.stylist.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  12. ↑ Doyle, Martin. "The best books for summer 2025: our critics' top picks". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  13. ↑ "The Racing Line". Atlantic Books. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  14. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  15. ↑ Rennison, Antonia Senior | Nick. "Eight great historical novels to read in June". Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  16. ↑ McLoughlin, Rod (2024-07-17). "JEP journalist's first novel finds publisher". Jersey Evening Post. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  17. ↑ "Kelly Frost | Author of The Kings Head". Kelly Frost. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  18. ↑ Frost, Kelly (2025). The Kings Head. Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781805462408.
  19. ↑ Frost, Kelly (2026). The Racing Line. Atlantic Books. ISBN 9781805465836.
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