Kate De Goldi


Kathleen Domenica De Goldi is a New Zealand novelist, children's writer and short story writer. Her early work was published under the pseudonym Kate Flannery. In 2025, she was appointed as the New Zealand Reading Ambassador (Te Awhi Rito).

Early life

De Goldi was born in Christchurch in 1959. She is of mixed Irish and Italian ancestry.

Career

De Goldi published her first collection of short stories like you, really under the pseudonym Kate Flannery.
De Goldi has been a full-time writer since 1997, and contributes to the New Zealand literature sector as a creative writing teacher, a book-related broadcaster and radio commentator, a participant of Writers in Schools, and a chair for literary festivals in New Zealand and internationally. De Goldi is an Arts Foundation Laureate.
De Goldi received the 2010 Michael King Fellowship to research and write an article about Susan Price. De Goldi has received both the 2011 Margaret Mahy Award and the 2011 Young Readers' Award Corine Literature Prize, She is known for children's literature and has also won awards for her short story writing, including the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Award in 1999.
In 2025 she was announced as the third New Zealand Reading Ambassador. She will serve in the role until 2027.

Selected works

Novels

  • 1996 – Sanctuary,
  • 1997 – Love, Charlie Mike,
  • 1999 – Closed, Stranger,
  • 2008 – The 10pm Question,
  • 2012 – The ACB with Honora Lee, illustrated by Gregory O'Brien,
  • 2015 – From the Cutting Room of Barney Kettle,
  • 2022 – Eddy, Eddy,

Picture books

  • 2005 - Clubs: A Lolly Leopold Story, illustrated by Jacqui Colley,
  • 2005 - Uncle Jack, illustrated by Jacqui Colley,
  • 2008 - A Lolly Leopold Story, illustrated by Jacqui Colley,

Editor with Susan Paris

  • 2016 - Annual
  • 2017 - ''Annual 2''