Natalie Conyer Natalie Conyer was born and grew up in Cape Town, but has lived in Sydney for many years.

Present Tense is Natalie's debut novel, a hard-boiled police procedural set in Cape Town and featuring Schalk Lourens, an orinary cop trying to find his way in a thrilling and dangerous country. It won Australia's prestigious Ned Kelly Award for the best debut crime novel of 2020, was shortlisted for the Davitt Awards and was nominated one of 2020's best reads by the national newspaper, The Australian.

The second Schalk Lourens book, Shadow City, was published in Australia in 2024.

Natalie's short stories have won several awards and been featured in anthologies such as The Only One in the World and Dark Deeds Down Under Volume 2.

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