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Emily Austin

Biography

Emily Austin

Emily R. Austin was born in Ontario, Canada, and received a writing grant from the Canadian Council for the Arts in 2020. She studied English literature and library science at Western University. She currently lives in Ottawa. EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD is her first novel.

Emily Austin

Books by Emily Austin

by Emily Austin - Fiction

Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal but she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta. Her older sister Margit is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society. But Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past --- from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta’s friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.

by Emily Austin - Fiction, Humor

Gilda, a twenty-something atheist and an animal-loving lesbian, cannot stop ruminating about death. Alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church. Assuming she’s there for a job interview, Father Jeff hires her to replace the recently deceased receptionist Grace. Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace’s old friend. She can’t bear to ignore the kindly old woman, who has been trying to reach her friend through the church inbox, but she also can’t bring herself to break the bad news. Desperate, she begins impersonating Grace via email. But when the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace’s death, Gilda may have to finally reveal the truth of her mortifying existence.