Kaarina Parker was born in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has a BA (with Honours) in history and feminist film theory from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Creative Writing from Auckland University of Technology.

She has a particular love for the extraordinary, largely uncredited, women of the late Roman Republic.

Kaarina also has an established career as a fashion model, and is a voice for diversity in the fashion industry in Australia and New Zealand. Fulvia is her first novel.