Kate Young

Kate Young is a writer and cook. Her award-winning Little Library Cookbooks (The Little Library Cookbook, The Little Library Year, The Little Library Christmas, and The Little Library Parties) feature food inspired by beloved works of literature. Her debut novel Experienced, a queer romcom set in Bristol, sold in a seven-way auction and will be published by 4th Estate in 2024. She has written for various publications, including the Guardian, and the Times; is a contributor to food magazines such as Waitrose Magazine, Delicious, and Sainsbury’s Magazine; and has advised on features for the Financial Times, and the Telegraph. After a sunny Australian childhood, spent indoors reading books, she moved to London, which suited her much better. She now lives in the English countryside. 

Forthcoming publication

EXPERIENCED by Kate Young (Fourth Estate, 4th June 2024) 

Bette loves Mei, but Bette and Mei are on a break, so Bette can catch-up on the decade of dating experiences she missed before she came out.

So Bette is (reluctantly) on a dating odyssey: a quest to have lots of casual sex with lots of hot women and come back to Mei more experienced and more certain about what she wants. And now she has new friend Ruth as her dating guide, she can't possibly fail. It's just three months, then she'll be back with Mei.

It's the perfect plan … isn't it?

Praise:

'Clever, sexy, joyful and filled with characters who quickly feel like old friends. I loved it' - Beth O'Leary, author of The Flatshare

'Sexy, wise and funny, Experienced is about finding your way home to yourself. I fell into this novel heart-first' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

‘Warm, witty and sexy as hell’ - Lauren Bravo, author of Preloved

‘I have read 8 million romcoms and this one is my favourite’ - Ella Risbridger, author of Midnight Chicken

‘A fizzing rollercoaster of a romcom. The sexiest book you’ll read all year, and the most heartening’ - Caroline O’Donoghue, author of The Rachel Incident

‘Romantic, sexy and heartwarming’ - Kate Davies, author of In At The Deep End

‘Gloriously tender, beautifully observed and deeply sexy’ - Emma Hughes, author of It’s Complicated

‘Fun, sexy and smart. Kate’s characters are warm and recognisable and importantly, deeply fanciable’ - Laura Kay, author of The Split

'Like a delicious, gossipy conversation with your funniest friend, Experienced is a warm, joyful gift of a rom-com' - Laura Wood, author of Under Your Spell

'Everything I want from romance… gorgeously written, funny and super hot! I absolutely devoured it and am hanging out for whatever Young writes next' - Brydie Lee-Kennedy, author of Go Lightly

'A warm, sharp and clever romantic comedy with a refreshing take on the endless dating anxieties we put ourselves through… a sparky, sensuous gem' - Justin Myers, author of The Fake-Up

‘Gloriously sexy, deliciously tender, and ultimately about exploring desire: in friendship, love, sex and in life.’ - Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Make You Mine This Christmas

'This is the sexy, slow-burn queer love story we've been waiting for [...} Delightful through and through [...[ Experienced beings together a winning cast and a series of romcom-worthy setups for a love story as heartfelt as it is fun. It's a no-holds-barred celebration that shows following your heart, despite the risks, offers great reward.' - Booklist

Praise for previous books: 

The Dinner Table: Over 100 Writers on Food by Kate Young and Ella Risbriger (Head of Zeus, October 2023) 

'A gorgeous collection: if you savour words quite as much as food, this is for you!' ― Nigella Lawson

'[A] delicious collection of 100 pieces of foodie musings from some of the biggest names in the industry ... there's something for every enthusiastic foodie in this beautiful book' ― Sainsbury's Magazine

Little Library Books

'The dishes - ginger beer ham on brioche buns; pear, chocolate and sherry cake - are delightful... This is what I'll be giving to friends who love to cook, love books and love Christmas' Diana Henry, on The Little Library Christmas.

'A work of rare joy, and one as wholly irresistible as the food it so delightfully describes... It is a glorious work that nourishes the mind and spirit as much as the body, and I could not love it more' Sarah Perry, on The Little Library Cookbook.

'A wonderful, brilliant book. Instantly comforting, effortlessly beautiful and suffused with the generosity that's at the heart of any good meal' Ruby Tandoh, on The Little Library Year.

'Combines two of my most favourite things - interesting and flavour-packed recipes, and reading lists. The best present a food-obsessed bookworm could ask for' Olia Hercules, on The Little Library Year.

'A cookbook and culinary almanac that celebrates the books and characters conjured by each season and its food. Leafing through a cookery book has never been so satisfying. Perfect'-- Nina Stibbe, on The Little Library Year