About the Author

Internationally recognized as a world-class violinist, singer, composer, author, actor, and visual artist, Emilie Autumn began her career as a classical prodigy, mastering the violin as a child before embarking on an international touring career as a wildly theatrical performer. She is best known for her genre-defying albums Opheliac and the feminist rallying cry Fight Like A Girl, as well as her bestselling novel The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, Emilie also starred in the cult-favorite musical films The Devil’s Carnival and The Devil’s Carnival: Alleluia, alongside Broadway legends. A vocal advocate for mental health awareness, Emilie channels her lived experience with bipolar disorder into her art, using music and storytelling to break stigma, foster connection, and inspire community.

Originally devoted to classical music, Emilie assumed her path was set as a soloist and composer—writing songs only in secret, believing she had no vocal ability. But a teenage home recording found its way into the hands of a small record label that believed otherwise. She soon armed herself with an electric violin and self-taught skills as a digital programmer, writing and producing her own albums from her basement bedroom and finally revealing a uniquely powerful voice backed by theatrical lyrics and acerbic wit. Her technical skill eventually earned her recognition as an official artist representative for Steinberg, creators of the industry-leading recording software she had taught herself to master.

Though she first gained notoriety through album collaborations and live television performances with artists such as Courtney Love and Billy Corgan, Emilie’s breakout came with the 2007 concept album Opheliac—a Shakespearean-inspired work often described as a gothic masterpiece that catapulted her into Germany’s industrial rock scene and sparked a series of highly publicized tours. Known for her flaming red hair, striped stockings, elaborate self-made costumes and stage sets, burlesque circus-style performances, and the lipstick heart she had been painting on her cheek for years—a symbol of empowerment embraced by her passionate audience, the “Plague Rats”—Emilie quickly became a sensation across Europe and the UK, followed by extensive touring through North and South America, Russia, and beyond. During this period, she released multiple singles and EPs, a cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” Alice Cooper’s “Is It My Body,” The Smiths’ “Asleep,” and the acclaimed instrumental double album Laced/Unlaced, which showcases both her classical roots and her electric violin virtuosity.

Then came the literary creation that would redefine Emilie's career: The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, an illustrated autobiographical/historical fantasy novel weighing nearly five pounds and drawn from the secret journal she kept while institutionalized in a mental hospital following a suicide attempt. The narrative takes an unexpected turn when, still confined to the psych ward, she uncovers evidence of a parallel dimension—one that quickly becomes indistinguishable from her own as the lives of the novel’s two heroines—Emilie and her Victorian counterpart, Emily—begin to merge. The Asylum… is a searingly honest exploration of mental illness and the abuses perpetrated by the medical community primarily toward women that has since become a cultural phenomenon—credited by countless readers with helping them overcome self-harm, speak openly about mental health, and find strength in what makes them different. The novel, now published in multiple languages including French and German, has inspired a far-reaching creative movement—Plague Rats tattoo its artwork, cosplay its characters, write fan fiction, and stage original productions set in the Asylum universe. Emilie has brought the story to life in immersive performances around the world, including Emilie Autumn’s Asylum Experience on the Vans Warped Tour.

Emilie followed the novel’s success with Fight Like A Girl, a narrative-driven album that brought the Asylum world to life through genre-blending songs of rebellion and resilience, and toured with an extravagant new stage show that hinted at her next major work: a Broadway-bound musical adaptation of the book, which Emilie is currently composing. She continues to release music from the upcoming show—including a new album The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls: Behind the Musical, now available on all platforms—while simultaneously releasing a harpsichord-driven take on Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger.”

An accomplished visual artist, Emilie made a dramatic debut at Art Basel, unveiling a series of mixed-media works that transform medical materials once associated with trauma into strikingly empowering pieces—each titled after one of her song lyrics.

Continuing her exploration of mental illness and recovery, Emilie’s recent work includes the fan-favorite short story “The Gown,” multiple stage plays, and two original film scripts, a psychological fantasy thriller—currently in pre-production—marking her boldest foray into cinema to date.