Graci Kim

For Graci Kim, storytelling isn’t just about entertaining readers – it’s
a way to open people’s eyes to new perspectives and transport them to different worlds. Shaped by her own diverse life experiences, she writes with the aim of forging a deep connection with her audience.

“As a Korean diaspora writer with a background in diplomacy, I understand what it’s like to be torn between contrasting realities,” she says. “I like to think that I’m always building bridges through my storytelling, in the hope my words can be a balm to bring people together.”

Graci is the author of the New York Times bestselling fantasy novel The Last Fallen Star (part of the Gifted Clans trilogy) and the number one bestselling Dreamslinger series. Inspired by the Korean mythology of her childhood, both series are imaginative journeys through the realms of myth and magic, exploring heritage, identity and what it means to find your place in the world.

“My books seek to entertain first and foremost, but they also discuss real issues like belonging, choice and finding your own path. My biggest pride is being able to play a part in such a formative time of young readers’ lives and knowing that I might have made a positive impact on their futures.”

Graci’s road to becoming a writer came after a “whirlwind journey through many career paths”. After starting a law degree at the University of Auckland, she soon switched her focus to Spanish and Latin American studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 2008.

“It was at the University of Auckland that I realised I could pursue something I felt passionate about and somehow build a career around it,” she says.

“While I wasn’t sure how the subject matter would translate to a professional career, it was amazing how the skills I’d learnt – whether that was time management skills or the ability to take on constructive criticism – helped build the foundation on which to carve out my own path. Even if I took a roundabout way to get here!”

After graduating, Graci spent a decade at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, where her work ranged from postings in Taipei and Beijing to
negotiating wine trade deals with South America and promoting women’s economic empowerment at APEC.

In addition to her diplomatic work, Graci has always maintained a
creative outlet. Her side projects include developing an interactive children’s
app for the iPad and founding MyThingymabob, a company that transformed
children’s drawings into soft toys. While living in Taiwan, she also starred in
the online cooking show Graci in the Kitchen.

Graci, who was born in South Korea and moved to Aotearoa aged three, says her strong work ethic comes from her parents, who are “hands down my biggest heroes in life”.

“As immigrants to New Zealand, they built a home and community for themselves with nothing but grit and a smile, and not a day goes by that I don’t reflect on their sacrifices and success with gratitude and awe.”

And that sense of gratitude soaks into everything she does. After almost dying in Taiwan aged 27 (a concrete truck ran through a pedestrian crossing, narrowly missing her but killing two others), and experiencing a period of blindness the following year, Graci says she is happy just to be alive.

“I am grateful for every year I didn’t realise I was going to get in this life,” she says. “As I near the 40-year mark, I am so joyful for every minute I have been gifted, and can’t wait to see what else this strange and wonderful life has in store!”