London-based writer of historical fiction.
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Kelly's debut novel The Kings Head, published by Atlantic Books, was named a Sunday Times best historical novel of the year and one of Stylist's must-reads of 2025. It also received critical acclaim in The Observer and other publications.
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Her second novel will be published in June 2026, also by Atlantic.​
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She grew up in Salisbury and worked as a trained journalist in Jersey for several years. She holds degrees from UCL and the University of Oxford.
kelly frost
PIC: OLIVER DORAN
The Kings Head
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1957, London. Two girl gangs. The Kings. The Seven Sisters. A war. Conscripted boys. Turf. Territory.
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A stiletto knife. In Finsbury Park. Too dark to see what happened.
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"We never ran the place on paper, but we had reigned here as Kings, reigned over the world we created for ourselves."
THE SUNDAY TIMES
The Kings Head is not only a compelling story but also an understated celebration of female friendship and a lament for its alterations with time.
THE OBSERVER
Expertly toys with gender and explores young people's place in the world. The Kings Head's postwar era is clearly defined. But the questions it asks are eternal.
BUZZ
It amounts to a fascinating glimpse back in time, one immersive enough to sometimes make me relieved I wasn’t present in the dancehalls the Kings terrorised. A compelling debut.
LUCIE McKNIGHT HARDY
A glorious tale of female friendship and rivalry told in deft prose that stops you in your tracks with a startling turn of phrase, like the glint of a flick knife. A dazzling debut, vivid and rich in period detail, whose characters come alive on the page.
JOSEPH O'CONNOR
A wonderfully vivid, powerful and compelling debut novel from a storyteller who is here to stay.
PETER JAMES
Kelly Frost is a startling new talent. Read her, watch her, she's going to be a big name.