The front cover of The Boy Maeve showing a red-headed white boy kneeling on the ground holding a dirk as flames sprout from his skin and three black birds circle above him.
The Boy Maeve, available in bookstores from June 2026.

Kai Ash was raised in Yuggera country (Brisbane region, Queensland), where he grew up amid bush-covered ranges. Whenever his days seemed to grow dark, he would turn to books, seeking tales of strength and adventure. Once he was old enough, he left Yuggera country to explore the world for himself: Czechia, Palestine, Israel, New Zealand, Spain and Scotland. He studied gender, language, law and psychology before coming home to his beloved ranges. Today, Kai still turns to stories when things begin to look dark. But now he writes them too.

Kai’s work has been shortlisted in The Ampersand Prize, Adaptable, Lane Cove Literary Awards and Melbourne Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards, and he was a mentee in the ASA/CA Award Mentorship Program. The Boy Maeve is his first published novel.

Tha Kai Ash na sgrìobhadair. ‘S ann à dùthaich Yuggera (Brisbane, Astràilia) a the e, ach tha air fuireach ann an iomadh diofair àite mar An t-Seic, Palastain, Iosrael, Sealainn Nuadh, An Spàinn agus Alba. Tha na sgrìobhaidhean aige air a bhith air a’ gheàrr-liosta airson The Ampersand Prize, Adaptable, Lane Cove Literary Awards agus Melbourne Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards, agus bha e pàirt dhen ASA/CA Award Mentorship Program. Tha ceuman aige ann an lagh, inntinn-eòlas agus eòlas gnè is cultarach. ‘S e The Boy Maeve a’ chiad nobhail aige a chaidh fhoillseachadh.

Chan eil ach beagan Gàidhlig aige ach bidh e ga cleachdadh nuair as urrain dha air sgàth ’s gu bheil “nas fheàrr Gàidhlig bhriste na Gàidhlig sa chiste.” ’S ann leis fhèin a tha mearachd sam bith sa Ghàidhlig air an làrach-lìn seo.