diff --git a/core/server/api/canary/authors-public.js b/core/server/api/canary/authors-public.js
index 90726c0c10..01b7027988 100644
--- a/core/server/api/canary/authors-public.js
+++ b/core/server/api/canary/authors-public.js
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 const Promise = require('bluebird');
-const i18n = require('../../../shared/i18n');
+const tpl = require('@tryghost/tpl');
 const errors = require('@tryghost/errors');
 const models = require('../../models');
 const ALLOWED_INCLUDES = ['count.posts'];
 
+const messages = {
+    notFound: 'Author not found.'
+};
+
 module.exports = {
     docName: 'authors',
 
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ module.exports = {
                 .then((model) => {
                     if (!model) {
                         return Promise.reject(new errors.NotFoundError({
-                            message: i18n.t('errors.api.authors.notFound')
+                            message: tpl(messages.notFound)
                         }));
                     }