Katia Astafieff

Katia Astafieff (born 1975) is a French travel writer, novelist and children's author. Born in Villerupt and based in Lorraine, she has a background in biology and has worked at the Jardins botaniques du Grand Nancy et de l'Université de Lorraine, where she later became deputy director. Astafieff's notable books include Comment voyager seule quand on est petite, blonde et aventureuse ("How to travel alone when one is petite, blonde, and adventurous", 2016) and Par les chemins des Indes ("Along Indian Routes").

Biography Astafieff was born in Villerupt, France in 1975. She studied biology and completed an internship in Montreal, Canada, where she began to develop a love of solo travelling.

In 2016, she published a travel book titled Comment voyager seule quand on est petite, blonde et aventureuse ("How to travel alone when one is petite, blonde, and adventurous"). In 2019, Astafieff hiked the International Appalachian Trail in Canada; her children's novel La fille qui voulait voir l’ours arose out of this experience.

Astafieff's 2025 book Par les chemins des Indes ("Along Indian Routes") was inspired by the life of botanist Victor Jacquemont; Astafieff travelled solo in India on the same route as Jacquemont. Her first attempt at the route ended in hospitalisation with food poisoning; she completed the journey on her second attempt.

Selected works Comment voyager seule quand on est petite, blonde et aventureuse (Editions du Trésor, 2016) Par les chemins des Indes: Sur les traces du botaniste français qui aurait pu devenir vice-roi du Cachemire (Éditions Paulsen, 2025)