Catherine Elizabeth Grenville is an Australian author born in 1950. She has published fifteen books, including fiction, non-fiction, biography, and works on the writing process. In 2001, she won the Orange Prize for "The Idea of Perfection," and in 2006 she received the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for "The Secret River." "The Secret River" was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

Her novels have been published worldwide and translated into many languages. Three of her works have been adapted into feature films. In 2019, "The Secret River" was adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell and toured by the Sydney Theatre Company.