Kestral Gaian is a writer of fiction, theatre, and poetry, whose work explores systems, survival, and the strange beauty of being human.
From young adult fiction to non-fiction essays, poetry to plays, screenplays to audio drama, their writing blends speculative imagination with emotional clarity — often asking what it means to stay human in systems that seem to forget what that means. Playful yet precise, political yet personal, their work is a quiet act of rebellion dressed in story.
Kestral Gaian tells stories that bend time, break rules, and reach under the surface of things.
A writer working across fiction, theatre, poetry, and difficult-to-label narrative forms, they are drawn to the edges of experience: the silences between sentences, the strange kindnesses in hard places, the cracks where something unexpected begins to grow.
Their body of work includes young adult novels, non-fiction essays, poetry collections, plays, screenplays, and audio dramas — all exploring emotional complexity, grief, memory, hidden systems, and the ways people transform (or are transformed). Whether crafting speculative fiction or sharply satirical theatre, Kestral writes with clarity, tenderness, and a refusal to flatten the contradictions of being alive. Their characters are often outsiders, observers, or soft disruptors — the sort who change the world not through force, but through persistence, wit, and quiet resistance.
Kestral grew up on a council estate with very little money and even fewer mirrors in books or on television. As a queer kid who rarely saw themselves reflected anywhere, storytelling became a survival tactic — and later, a tool for shaping the world they wished had existed. That early sense of difference, and the deep desire for connection, continues to shape everything they create.
Known for their keen sense of structure, love of language, and instinct for emotional truth, Kestral creates work that feels both mythic and deeply personal. Their current projects include longform fiction, poetic experiments, and new work for stage and sound — all pushing against the edges of what storytelling can be.
What are you working on right now?
Several things, none of which are behaving. My next novel comes out in 2026 so a lot of my time is spent working with my publisher on the finishing touches to that – but there’s also a stage piece that’s half manifesto and half comedy, a book of poems inspired by the London Underground, and a quiet war happening in the margins of my notebook. It’s going well, probably.
If you’d like more regular updates, previews, sneak peeks, etc, please do check out my newsletter.
Do you only ever write queer characters?
No, but they’re definitely cooler and more fun to write.
I thought "queer" was a bad word?
“Queer” first popped up in the English language during the 16th century as a synonym for “strange” and “illegitimate.” In the 19th century, it began to mean “odd,” and by the end of that century, people used it as a slur against effeminate men and men who slept with other men.
When I was at school, “queer” was the ultimate insult. It was used to describe me often, and never in a good way. So why do I use it so freely now? Because there’s power in reclaiming a slur. Language holds power, and reclaiming once-hurtful words is a way for LGBTQ+ people to take control of their identities. Instead of letting slurs remain symbols of shame, many have been transformed into expressions of pride and solidarity.
I personally love the word “queer” because it’s a great umbrella term. It binds and unifies our community, which is something we sorely need.
Is that your real name? What does it mean?
Yes, my name is Kestral Gaian, but I did get to choose it myself. Turns out you can just… pick your own name!
As a kid growing up on a council estate, one of my favourite books was ‘A Kestrel for a Knave‘ by Barry Hines. I got to meet a couple of kestrels through the scouts, too, and kind of fell in love with how confident yet calm they seemed. Unfortunately I couldn’t spell particuarly well in my youth, so kestrel became Kestral – a misspelling I chose to honour when I legally changed my name.
Gaian means ‘of Gaia‘ or ‘of the Earth‘ which I chose as a promise to always live in a way that is mindful of the planet that we all share, and a reminder to myself that we’re all just people on one giant spinning ball of magic.
My first name is very much in the clouds. My surname is grounded to the earth. That sums me up prettt well, I think, and is something I explored in a piece of music called ‘Birds and Humans‘ which I co-write with my dear friend Saska Ayris (aka Tiasu).
What awards have you won?
I won ‘Most Improved’ in English when I was in year nine at school.
Do you have any pets?
I love animals, and currently have one non-human housemate called Compton who is a black-and-white long-haired cat who thinks he’s a dog.
Where are you based?
I’m considering flying north for the summer.
You can reach Kestral through their publisher via email, or sign up to their newsletter for updates!
