Lily Crozier was born in London to a family of book collectors and quickly followed in their footsteps. Now based in Sydney, she is building her career as a literary influencer and publicist at Penguin Random House Australia. Her debut novel, ‘Vow of Eternal Night’ is slated to release on the 17th of March 2026.
Vow of Eternal Night
Crozier’s upcoming novel reimagines Beauty and the Beast, drawing from inspiration from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ set in an alternate eighteenth-century Europe.
Protagonist and daughter of the Mayor, Clara, knows Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg is a monster — moreover, she knows he is a vampire. When the time comes for him to marry, she is his first choice for wife.
The characters in this novel have intricate backstories and unending wit, adding to the compelling plot and setting. Crozier weaves her own passions and extensive research into a fascinating tale perfect for those who grew up reading about magic and romance.
Lily Crozier: Book Collector, Book Seller, Book Writer
Crozier grew up believing this dream of being an author was an impossible one. Initially pursuing a career adjacent to publishing, Crozier studied Japanese Studies at the Australian National University while working in a bookstore. In 2019, she moved to Sydney to complete a Master in Publishing with the University of Sydney, following which she began working at Penguin Random House Australia in 2021.
It was during her time as a bookseller that TikTok subcommunity BookTok took off. Overtime, she became a book influencer on social media (@lilycantstopreading) where she shared her passion for reading with the world, forging connections with a network of readers.
“But all through that, I was always writing,” said Crozier.
The Writing
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Crozier developed the idea for ‘Vow of Eternal Night’.
“I kind of wrote in this frenzy for a month, and then put it aside for a couple of years while I was getting into the swing of things with Penguin,” Crozier reflects. “And then two years ago, I picked it up again and decided, no, no, … it’s time, let’s make this happen. And it kinda did.”
Her approach to drafting is to begin with an outline and then “go completely rogue”. Instead of writing chronologically, she uses Scrivener to keep track of chapters and jumps between dialogue and action, later piecing it altogether in a structured novel.
Through this process, she’s learned one key lesson from working with authors: everyone’s experiences are different.
“Everyone takes it on differently, and everyone has their different writing processes,” says Crozier. “What works for you won’t work for someone else.”
The Book Crozier Always Wanted to Read
A lover of vampires, Crozier noticed a gap in the way they are portrayed throughout different genres. In her search for traditional gothic vampires with all the religious symbolism and cultural history in tow, she wrote ‘Vow of Eternal Night’.
As a vampire, Raleigh cannot cross running water, is poisoned by silver, despises garlic, fears crosses and must be invited in before entering a house. These traditional elements of vampiric lore often discarded by contemporary vampire stories provide comedic relief and add to the intricate world of the novel.
“I took as many [of these elements] as possible… that was really important to me.”
Crozier most enjoyed exploring the duality of the male lead Raleigh by adding hints of tenderness to his monstrous character. In spite of his gothic horror origins, Crozier says she “knew from quite early on that there was always going to be another side of Raleigh.”
This derives largely from its ‘Beauty and the Beast’ inspiration, of which Crozier shared she aimed to pull from the essence of the story without taking so much from it that it became predictable.
“I wanted the deep romance that’s so quintessential in every retelling… without it just being Beauty and the Beast as you know it.”
Deeper Meanings
There are, however, aspects of the novel that raise important questions about society.
Heavier topics explored in the book include war, poverty, hunger and grief, all of which are pertinent both in the historical setting and the current world still.
“Those sorts of issues that either they’re very big societal things or big personal things, but they’re all issues that are as relevant today as they are in the 1700s fantasy novel,” said Crozier. “I think all of the deeper themes are very relevant in today’s society.”
A Day in the Life of Lily Crozier
Crozier wakes up at 7am before getting to the Penguin office for her 9-to-5 in the “less glamorous side of publishing”, doing behind-the-scenes marketing work. She attempts to have a break until 8pm before writing and editing until 10pm.
Crozier says the most challenging thing about writing ‘Vow of Eternal Night’ was taking care of herself amongst all of this. “It’s very easy to just get locked in and then ignore the rest of the world.”
She adds, “Going forward, my priority is writing and making sure I can get swept away in the passion of it without neglecting myself… Finding good balance.”
Lily Crozier’s Next Project: An Exclusive Hint
With nothing announced, Crozier speaks very vaguely about her next book.
“It’s more of a high fantasy — it’s kind of set in an Industrial Revolution world,” and she confirms there will be a romantic subplot.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she shares.
Crozier Goes on Tour
After a successful Penguin Fantasy Fest in 2025, Penguin Random House Australia announced it will be returning in March 2026.
In Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne Lily Crozier will join Bronte-Marie Wesson, Stacia Stark and Braidee Otto on a panel about writing fantasy.
Crozier said, “These events are always so much fun and I’m really excited to meet everyone there!”
From her secret next writing project to her upcoming tour, we can expect exciting things from Lily Crozier.
