I’m Stefanie, a writer from beautiful Perth, Western Australia.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved words and the worlds and characters they create.
More recently, my fascination with family history helped form my debut novel Daughters of Batavia, which will be published by HarperCollins in 2025.
Thank you for visiting my site and please feel free to get in touch.
About Stefanie Koens
Stefanie Koens grew up in a large family in which books and story-telling were treasured. When her novel Daughters of Batavia was awarded the Banjo Prize in 2023, it was the fulfilment of a dream that began at the age of 12 when one of her short stories won a local writing competition.
Although she never lost her love for writing, Stefanie has worked as a teacher, tutor and office administrator.
Stefanie also loves history and is particularly fascinated by family stories, secrets and experiences that interweave past and present.
When she’s not writing, Stefanie loves spending time in the countryside and coast around her home in Perth, Western Australia, especially when this involves faith, family and friends. More often than not, Stefanie can be found absorbed in other writer’s stories.
Daughters of Batavia
Two women. One shipwreck. And four centuries of secrets.
Shortly before Christmas in 2018, Tess McCarthy, after years as a hard-working English teacher who never did anything out of the ordinary, flies to Western Australia’s remote Abrolhos Islands. She is in search of answers – both to the infamous Batavia shipwreck and her personal family crises.
Amsterdam, 1628. Saskia, an orphaned young Dutchwoman, boards Batavia with relatives, bound for a new and potentially dangerous life in the East Indies – only for her world to first collide with Aris Jansz, the ship’s taciturn under surgeon.
Tess, Saskia and Aris – their lives linked by secrets that span generations – carry the baggage of past losses and the uncertainty of their futures. And, in the most unlikely circumstances, they find qualities that echo through centuries: faith, acceptance, and love.
‘Evocative and compelling! An immersive and engrossing mystery. This wonderful debut by Stefanie Koens kept me enthralled to the last page. A beautiful synergy between the present and the past, between history and a richly drawn portrayal of the personal stories of those who perished and those who survived the famous shipwreck of the Batavia. Heartbreaking and heartwarming‘
– Tania Blanchard
‘A masterfully crafted dual timeline that seamlessly weaves past and present into a rich tapestry, bringing four centuries of secrets vividly to life’
– Tea Cooper
Get In Touch
Got a question or just want to connect? I’d love to hear from you.