Karin Lillehei is a writer, editor and linguist whose wide-ranging experiences from Hollywood to Washington, competitive horse shows to desert living, have provided rich inspiration for her storytelling. A devotee of British films and literature, she writes books and screenplays for international audiences, favouring projects with a strong social message.
She holds a BA in English and a PhD in Linguistics and Anthropology, is a Phi Kappa Phi academic society member, and was awarded one of only 25 International Institute of Education fellowships administered annually by the Fulbright Committee. For over two decades she has taught academic writing to MA and PhD candidates worldwide.
Lillehei has served as chief English editor at Tansa AS since 2000, developing text-proofing systems used by major publications across five continents including the Associated Press, The Canadian Press, The Economist, Financial Times, Toronto Star and The Australian. She is a professional member of PEN America and ACES and has also served on the boards of several arts organisations in New Mexico and Washington, DC.
As a film editor she worked on post-production English dialogue edits for the Norwegian TV series Kampen om tungvannet (The Heavy Water Wars) and the feature film Operasjon Arktis (Operation Arctic).
She currently has nine book and five screenplay projects in development. A Rocaberti Writers’ Retreat alumna (2023–2025), she is working with BAFTA and RTS Award-winning British mentor Michael Davies. Her latest project, Noor, tells the story of a refugee child and explores themes of belonging, identity and transformation.
