Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay (Guy Gavriel Kay) was born on November 7th, 1954 and is currently 71 years old. Guy Gavriel Kay was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Guy Gavriel Kay is known for writing in the Fantasy genre.
Guy Gavriel Kay has written 9 standalone novels, starting with Tigana in 1990. The most recently released novel was Written on the Dark, which was released in 2025. There are no upcoming standalone novels by Guy at this time.
Guy Gavriel Kay has also written The Fionavar Tapestry series which has 3 books including The Summer Tree and The Wandering Fire.
In 2001, Guy Gavriel Kay's
The Sarantine Mosaic, consisting of
Sailing to Sarantium and
Lord of Emperors was nominated for the Mythopeic Fantasy Award for best adult literature.
Kay is also a qualified lawyer in Canada.
The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid.
When Christopher Tolkien needed an assistant to edit his father J. R. R. Tolkien's unpublished work, he chose Kay. Kay moved to Oxford in 1974 from his philosophy studies at the University of Manitoba to assist Christopher in editing
The Silmarillion.
Guy Gavriel Kay: Awards & Accolades
Guy Gavriel Kay was nominated for the Mythopoeic Award, Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, in 2001. Kay's book, Ysabel won the World Fantasy Award, Novel, in 2008.
The following novels by Guy Gavriel Kay were nominated for these awards:
- The Summer Tree: Mythopoeic Award, Fantasy Award (1987).
- Tigana: World Fantasy Award, Novel (1991). Mythopoeic Award, Fantasy Award (1991).
- Sailing to Sarantium: World Fantasy Award, Novel (1999).
- Lord of Emperors: World Fantasy Award, Novel (2001).
- Ysabel: Mythopoeic Award, Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2008).
- Under Heaven: World Fantasy Award, Novel (2011). Mythopoeic Award, Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2011).
- River of Stars: Goodreads Awards, Best Fantasy (2013).
- Children of Earth and Sky: RUSA Awards, Fantasy Award (2017).
Guy Gavriel Kay: Lists & Other Mentions
- Tigana: CBC: 100 Novels that make you proud to be Canadian Selection in 2017.
Related Authors
Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay also enjoy these authors:
- Andrzej Sapkowski, author of The Witcher Saga Series.
- S.A. Chakraborty, author of The Daevabad Trilogy Series.
- Michael J. Sullivan, author of the Riyria Revelations Omnibus Series.
- Raymond E. Feist, author of the Riftwar Saga Series.
- George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song Of Ice and Fire Series.
- Robin Hobb, author of the Farseer Series.
- Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials Series.
- Ann Leckie, author of the Imperial Radch Series.
- Adrienne Young, author of: The Unmaking of June Farrow.
- Anne Bishop, author of The Others Series.
Guy Gavriel Kay: F.A.Q
When was Guy Gavriel Kay Born? How old is Guy Gavriel Kay?
Guy Gavriel Kay was born on November 7th, 1954. Guy Gavriel Kay is currently 71 years old.
Where was Guy Gavriel Kay Born?
Guy Gavriel Kay was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada and is Canadian.
What book awards has Guy Gavriel Kay won?
Ysabel: World Fantasy Award: Novel (2008).
What was the first book Guy Gavriel Kay wrote?
The first book written by Guy Gavriel Kay was The Summer Tree, published in 1984.
What was the most recent book Guy Gavriel Kay wrote?
His most recently released work was Written on the Dark on May 27th, 2025.
What is the most popular book by Guy Gavriel Kay?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Guy Gavriel Kay book is
Tigana. Here are his most popular books and their average ratings:
- Tigana (7.69)
- The Summer Tree (7.78)
- The Lions of Al-Rassan (9.14)
- The Wandering Fire (9.43)
- The Darkest Road (9.43)
What genres does Guy Gavriel Kay Write?
Guy Gavriel Kay primarily writes in the Fantasy genre. His work includes sub-genres such as Epic / High Fantasy, Mythic Fantasy, and Historical Fantasy.
Are there upcoming new books by Guy Gavriel Kay?
Guy Gavriel Kay does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
Click and we will notify you via e-mail when Guy Gavriel Kay next book gets announced.
How many books has Guy Gavriel Kay written?
Guy Gavriel Kay has written 17 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 3 books in The Fionavar Tapestry Series, 2 books in The Sarantine Mosaic Series, 2 books in the Under Heaven Series, 9 Standalone Novels, 1 book in the Short Story Collection.