K. Ancrum


Kayla M. Ancrum is an American author of young adult speculative fiction. She debuted with The Wicker King. Her fourth novel Icarus was shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.
𝕏 KaylaAncrum

Early life

Ancrum was born in Maryland and grew up in Chicago. She began writing at age 12. She initially studied Fashion Merchandising at Dominican University before switching to English and Creative Writing, graduating in 2013.

Career

Ancrum got her start writing on Tumblr in 2010s and would write during class. Upon graduating from university, she signed her first book deal with Macmillan Publishers, through which she published her debut novel The Wicker King in 2017. She originally wrote the story for a friend "who felt alone in his bi identity". This was followed in 2019 by Ancrum's second novel The Weight of the Stars, a lesbian science fiction romance. The Weight of the Stars was a 2019 Locus magazine pick. Ancrum wrote her first two novels in a "vignette" format.
Published in 2021 via Imprint, Ancrum wrote a thriller retelling of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan titled Darling, set in contemporary Chicago.
Announced in 2022, HarperTeen acquired the rights to publish Ancrum's fourth novel Icarus, a reimagining of the titular Greek myth as a modern queer coming-of-age story. Icarus was shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award in the Young Adult category and appeared on the Publishers Weekly list of best books of 2024.

Personal life

Ancrum is bisexual and intersex. She has ADHD.

Novels

The Wicker King The Weight of the Stars
  • Darling Icarus
  • ''The Corruption of Hollis Brown''

Novellas

  • ''The Legend of the Golden Raven''

Anthologies