Catherine Robertson

Catherine Robertson was born in Wellington in 1966.{{Cite web|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/author/catherine-robertson/|title=Book of the Week: Catherine Robertson's hilarious new novel|date=24 January 2019|website=The Spinoff|access-date=26 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writer/robertson-catherine/|title=Robertson, Catherine|date=December 2016|website=New Zealand Book Council: Te Kaunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa|access-date=26 January 2019}} She grew up in that city and later lived in San Francisco and the United Kingdom. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington{{Cite web|url=https://www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters/our-students/grad-showcase/catherine-robertson-writing-for-the-page,-2015|title=Catherine Robertson (Writing for the Page, 2015)|website=Victoria University of Wellington: International Institute of Modern Letters|access-date=26 January 2019}} and has worked as a magazine feature writer, advertising copywriter and business consultancy owner.

While living in San Francisco, she took a creative writing course at a local community college, and in 2005, she took an Iowa short story course at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University of Wellington. Over the following years she wrote her first novel and submitted it to UK agents; it was published in 2011.

Robertson was selected to represent New Zealand at the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair.{{Cite web |last=Caffin |first=Elizabeth |date=22 October 2014 |title=Frankfurt Book Fair 2012 |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/42284/frankfurt-book-fair-2012 |access-date=26 January 2019 |website=Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand}}{{Cite web |date=19 February 2013 |title=An evening with author, Catherine Robertson |url=http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blog/index.php/2013/02/19/an-evening-with-catherine-robertson/ |access-date=26 January 2019 |website=Wellington City Libraries: Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui}}

In 2015 she completed a MA in creative writing at the IIML under supervisor Emily Perkins.

Her short fiction has appeared in HOME, Turbine and Sport, and some of her books have been published in Germany and Italy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.anzliterature.com/member/catherine-robertson/|title=Catherine Robertson: ANZL Member|website=ANZL: Academy of New Zealand Literature: Te Whare Mātātuhi o Aotearoa|access-date=26 January 2019}} Her books have been number one best sellers in New Zealand.{{Cite web |date=21 November 2018 |title=Getting to know the 'How to Get Published' Event Panel: Catherine Robertson |url=http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blog/index.php/2018/11/21/getting-to-know-the-how-to-get-published-event-panel-catherine-robertson/ |access-date=27 January 2019 |website=Wellington City Libraries}}

She reviews contemporary fiction for the NZ Listener, Booknotes Unbound and New Zealand Books and is a frequent guest on Radio New Zealand’s The Panel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel|title=The Panel: Our Panellists|website=Radio New Zealand|access-date=27 January 2019}}

She has been invited to appear as speaker, panellist and/or chair at numerous literary festivals, including the New Zealand Book Council True Stories Told Live (2012),{{Cite web|url=http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/a-local-politician-a-music-reviewer-and-an-author-walk-into-a-bar|title=A local politician, a music reviewer and an author walk into a bar…|date=31 January 2012|website=Creative New Zealand|access-date=26 January 2019}} the IIML Writers on Monday series (2015),{{Cite web|url=http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-line-up-for-writers-on-mondays-july.html|title=New line-up for Writers on Mondays - July to September|last=Beattie|first=Graham|date=6 July 2015|website=Beattie's Book Blog|access-date=26 January 2019}} and, in 2018, the Auckland Writers Festival, Writers and Readers Week at the New Zealand Festival,{{Cite web|url=https://www.festival.co.nz/2018/writers-readers/speakers/|title=Writers & Readers Speakers|website=New Zealand Festival|access-date=27 January 2019}} WORD Christchurch,{{Cite web|url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/quick-questions-with-catherine-robertson-word-christchurch/|title=Quick Questions with Catherine Robertson – WORD Christchurch|date=21 August 2018|website=Christchurch City Libraries|access-date=26 January 2019}} the NZSA National Writers Forum,{{Cite web|url=http://nationalwritersforum.org.nz/staff-member/catherine-robertson/|title=Catherine Robertson|website=NWF: National Writers Forum 21–23 September 2018|access-date=26 January 2019}} the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival{{Cite web|url=http://www.hbreadersandwriters.co.nz/p/writers.html|title=Writers|website=Hawkes Bay Readers & Writers Festival|access-date=26 January 2019}} and LitCrawl Wellington, when she took part in a special live edition of RNZ's Short Story Club, hosted by Jesse Mulligan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.litcrawl.co.nz/programme/book-club|title=Short Story Club Live|website=LitCrawl 2018|access-date=27 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127094051/https://www.litcrawl.co.nz/programme/book-club|archive-date=27 January 2019|url-status=dead}} She has served as Chair of the New Zealand Society of Authors Wellington branch{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/67580206/null|title=My Secret Wellington: Catherine Robertson, writer|last=Catherall|first=Sarah|date=2 April 2015|website=Stuff|access-date=27 January 2019}} and is a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand. She represents the New Zealand Society of Authors on the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzbookawards.nz/about/|title=About The New Zealand Book Awards Trust|website=NZ Book Awards Trust|access-date=26 January 2019}}

She hosted the Book Council podcast Talking Books in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://mch.govt.nz/news-events/news/new-zealand-book-council-podcast-series|title=New Zealand Book Council podcast series|date=23 July 2015|website=Ministry for Culture and Heritage: Manatu Taonga|access-date=26 January 2019}}

With Paula Morris, she co-authored a 2016 Book Council report into reader attitudes and why New Zealand adults weren't reading New Zealand fiction.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11714847|title=Writer 'dumped on' by establishment|date=25 September 2015|website=NZ herald|access-date=26 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.noted.co.nz/culture/books/why-arent-adults-reading-new-zealand-fiction-books/|title=Why aren't adults reading New Zealand fiction books?|last=Easther|first=Elizabeth|date=13 September 2016|website=NZ Listener|access-date=26 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/advocacy/research/|title=Research|website=New Zealand Book Council: Te Kaunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa|access-date=26 January 2019}}

She is married with two adult sons,{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/catherine-robertson|title=Catherine Robertson|website=Penguin Books NZ|access-date=26 January 2019}} one of whom, Callum, is also a writer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/lifestyle/career/its-all-in-the-genes-for-this-mother-and-son-writing-duo-36228|title=It's all in the genes for this mother-and-son writing duo|last=Jacobson|first=Julie|date=24 January 2018|website=New Zealand Woman's Weekly|access-date=26 January 2019}} She was co-owner of Good Books bookshop in Wellington, which closed in early 2024.{{Cite web |date=12 March 2024 |title=Good Books closing, after four years |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=158857 |url-status=live |access-date=14 March 2025 |website=Scoop}} She divides her time between Wellington and Hawke's Bay.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/kitchen/101727380/kitchen-of-colour-ply-and-bright-blue|title=Kitchen of colour: ply and bright blue|last=Doherty|first=Cassie|date=23 March 2018|website=Stuff: NZ House and Garden|access-date=27 January 2019}}

The Hiding Places won the Nelson Public Libraries Award for New Zealand Fiction (2015).{{Cite web|url=http://www.nelsonpubliclibraries.co.nz/library/library-news/and-the-winner-is/|title=And the winner is …|date=22 October 2015|website=Nelson Public Libraries|access-date=26 January 2019}}

Robertson was Creative New Zealand/International Institute of Modern Letters Writer in Residence (2020).{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1285355306 |title=Nine lives : New Zealand writers on notable New Zealanders. |date=2021 |publisher=Upstart Press |isbn=978-1-990003-37-0 |location=Auckland, New Zealand |oclc=1285355306}}

• The Hiding Places (Penguin Random House NZ, 2015)

The Imperfect Lives series:

• The Sweet Second Life of Darrell Kincaid (Random House, 2011; Heyne, Germany, 2012; Corbaccio, Italy, 2012)
• The Not So Perfect Life of Mo Lawrence (Random House, 2012; Heyne, Germany, 2012)
• The Misplaced Affections of Charlotte Fforbes (Random House NZ, 2013)
• The Midlife Misgivings of Edward Marsh (Imperfect Press, 2021)

Gabriel's Bay series

• Gabriel’s Bay (Penguin Random House NZ, 2018)
• What You Wish For (Penguin Random House NZ, 2019)
• Spellbound (Penguin Random House NZ, 2021)

Flora Valley series:

• Corkscrew You (HarperCollins, 2024)
• You're so Vine (One More Chapter, 2024)
• Kiss my Glass (One More Chapter, 2024)

• Catherine Robertson's [https://www.catherinejrobertson.com/ website]
• Biography of [https://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writer/robertson-catherine/ Catherine Robertson] at New Zealand Book Council: Te Kaunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa
• Biography of [https://www.anzliterature.com/member/catherine-robertson/ Catherine Robertson] at ANZL: Academy of New Zealand Literature: Te Whare Mātātuhi o Aotearoa

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Category:New Zealand women writers

Category:Living people

Category:Writers from Wellington City

Category:1966 births

Category:International Institute of Modern Letters alumni

Category:New Zealand booksellers

Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni