Dawn Kurtagich is a psychological horror and young adult fiction author who currently lives in Wales. She grew up in a number of places around the world, primarily in South Africa, as her mother was a globe-trotting missionary. During her childhood, she attended fifteen different schools. Kurtagich began her writing career in 2012 while recovering from a liver transplant. She drew on this experience along with her knowledge of someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder to write her first novel. Though classified as young adult fiction, reviewers have noted the work is more suitable for readers over fifteen years old. She also produced a companion novella to accompany her debut novel. Kurtagich's adult fiction debut, The Madness, was published in 2024, followed by three additional novels.