Thalia Henry
Thalia Henry lives in Tāmaki Makaurau and grew up in the coastal town of Karitāne, Otago. Her forthcoming second novel, Sorry Rock, moves between Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and Australia’s Northern Territory, tracing fragile relationships across black sand and red ochre.
Her debut, Beneath Pale Water, inspired by the South Island high country, won a Gold Award at the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) in the Australia / New Zealand Best Regional Fiction category. Thalia’s work also appears in UK and New Zealand anthologies, including Botanical Short Stories (The History Press). She has developed work for the stage.
Media & Reviews
Sorry Rock
Publishing August 2026
“Compelling, moving and grounded in two remarkable landscapes. Henry reminds us, in shining prose, that family and connection to place are often tangled, and the deepest emotions unspoken. Sometimes we need to return to a place to understand who we are and what is home.”
- Inga Simpson, author of Once We Were Wildlife
“From the black sands of Te Henga to the red dust of Australia’s outback, Sorry Rock follows five family members as they grapple with their past. Gritty in every sense and achingly real, it’s utterly compelling.”
- Jennifer Lane, author of Miracle
Beneath Pale Water
"Powerfully evokes the landscapes and seasons of inland Otago.
- Owen Marshall
"Lucid and springy dialogue."
- David Hill / New Zealand Listener
"The strangest thing I've read for quite some time. The most original thing I've read for quite some time."
-Louise O'Brian / Radio New Zealand nine to noon