Christine Balint

Australia, Victoria, Mornington Peninsula

Christine Balint is an Australian author known for her literary historical fiction. Her novels bring overlooked moments in history to life with detailed research, lyrical writing, and vivid storytelling. She is widely respected among Australian historical novelists.

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About Christine Balint

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Christine Balint Bio

Christine Balint’s first novel, The Salt Letters, tells the story of a young Englishwoman’s journey to colonial Australia in 1954. The book was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Literary Award, establishing her as a notable new voice in Australian fiction. In 2001, she was also named one of Barnes & Noble’s Great New Writers.

​She lives on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula with her partner and two children, where she continues to write and share forgotten histories.

Christine Balint’s books

Balint’s second novel, Ophelia’s Fan, reimagines the life of Irish actress Harriet Smitson, whose relationship with composer Hector Berlioz inspired Symphonie Fantastique. The novel blends historical detail and psychological insight to explore music, theatre, and love in nineteenth-century Europe.

​Music and history are central themes in Balint’s writing. Her novella Water Music, which won the 2021 Viva la Novella Prize, takes readers to eighteenth-century Venice through the story of Lucietta, a talented young violinist raised in the city’s musical orphanage system. Balint’s years of archival research helped her bring lesser-known historical stories and memorable characters to life.

​In 2026, Balint published her fourth novel, A Single Witness. Based on eighteenth-century Venetian court records, it tells the true story of thirteen-year-old Anna Maria Bonon, who stands up to her father’s authority and the social norms of her era.

​Balint’s current project, The Last Music Keeper of Venice, continues her focus on Venetian history. Supported by Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship, the novel follows the recovery of musical manuscripts by historic female composers.

Research and academic career

In addition to writing fiction, Christine Balint is an experienced academic and researcher. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Modern European Studies and a PhD in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne. She is skilled in archival research in French, Italian, and Hungarian sources, and has spent years uncovering forgotten stories across Europe.

​She has taught at the University of Melbourne and RMIT University, and now lectures in English and Creative Writing at La Trobe University.

Christine Balint FAQs

What is Christine Balint’s academic career and background?

Christine Balint holds a PhD in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne. She has taught at the University of Melbourne and spent seven years teaching in the RMIT Graduate Writing Program. She also lectures in English and Creative Writing at La Trobe University. Beyond universities, she has taught creative writing at Writers Victoria at the Wheeler Centre, the CAE, and Chisholm Institute.

​Christine Balint has served on the advisory board and judging panel for the 20/40 Publishing Prize.

What major writing awards or recognitions has she won?

Christine Balint’s first novel, The Salt Letters, was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Literary Award. Her third novel, Water Music, won the 2021 Viva la Novella Prize.

​Her latest work-in-progress, The Last Music Keeper of Venice, has received funding from Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship.