Harriet Constable is a writer and filmmaker based in London. Her debut novel, The Instrumentalist, sold to Bloomsbury following a seven-way auction in the UK, Simon & Schuster in the US and Harper Collins in Canada. After publishing in August 2024 it became a Times Top 10 Bestseller and was named a ‘Best Historical Fiction’ by The Sunday Times. Translation rights have so far sold in 17 different languages. The book is inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, who was an orphan, musical prodigy and student of Antonio Vivaldi. Harriet was named one of the Observer’s top 10 new novelists for 2024.

Harriet’s journalism and documentary work is featured in outlets including The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, NPR, The Economist. She produced for BBC News at Six and Ten during the pandemic, and is a Rough Guide to Kenya co-author. She was part of the team that made the BAFTA-award winning 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room.

Originally from London, Harriet worked at the Financial Times before spending several years in Nairobi and then Johannesburg. She grew up playing the flute and piano and singing with her mother, a classically trained musician.

Harriet holds a BA (Hons) in English from the University of Birmingham and attended the filmmaking summer school at Columbia University. She is is a Pulitzer Center grantee and a BAFTA Connect member.

Harriet is represented by Madeleine Milburn.