Friday Fiction | Getting to Know Kate Gordon

Kate Gordon has a new book out Aster’s Good, Right Things. Kate is also an Australia children’s author.

Please welcome Kate Gordon, we are happy to have you here and look forward to getting to know you  more.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a mum, reader, writer and Josh Ritter fan, living on stolen land in nipaluna and currently learning to ride a bike for the first time in my life!

2. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?

My delightful, guilty pleasure was the Babysitters Club books – I was completely obsessed. My dad had to stage an intervention. I was also an enormous fan of Jill Murphy and Tamora Pierce and Robin Klein was my absolute idol!

3. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and to write?

My reading and writing tastes are pretty eclectic but I think I skew towards gentle stories with a touch of whimsy.

4. Did you have any favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?

Definitely Robin Klein, as I noted above. Also, Steven Herrick, Sonya Hartnett, John Marsden, Tamora Pierce, Isobelle Carmody, James Moloney, Brigid Lowry, Thurley Fowler … My dad ran a school library so I was lucky to have access to some amazing books growing up!

5. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I think I knew I wanted to write from day dot – as soon as I could make words. Funnily enough, I never actually held the ambition to be *an author*. I didn’t think it was possible for a kid from rural Tasmania to do that! I still don’t identify as an author. I’m a mum who sometimes writes books! Maybe it’s impostor syndrome or a fear of labels or just that I don’t see myself as just one thing. But I’ll always write and love writing!

6. How did you go about becoming an author?

See above for my odd feelings on being called an author! I fell into it by accident, after a series of strange decisions and lucky coincidences, and helped along by some amazing people who saw something in me and had faith in me from the beginning – from university lecturers to my first agent to other authors who have all sort of just carried me along all these years! I have no good advice other than to trust in serendipity!

7. If you were not a writer what would you like to be?

A full-time mum until she’s old enough to not need me! And once she does … I was a librarian for a long time and loved that. I’d probably do that again … or maybe become a florist? I really love flowers!

8. Outside reading and writing, what do you like to do?

Hang out with my kid, read, listen to Josh Ritter, watch birds, look up at the sky … I’m a pretty boring and simple person!

9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?

I’ve always really wanted to go to the Black Forest in Germany. It’s definitely on the bucket list!

10. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why?

My nan, my dad, and my kid – because they are the best people I know. And I’d sneak food out the back door to my husband and my dad’s partner because I’d feel so bad they weren’t invited, too!

Finally can you tell us about your latest release. Where can you buy the book and where can we find you on the web?

I have a very neglected website – www.kategordon.com.au. I really need to make time to update it! My latest release is Aster’s Good, Right Things. It’s a book very dear to my heart, about childhood anxiety and trauma, family breakups, friendship and self-acceptance and I am so thrilled that it’s out in the world with Riveted Press. You can find out more about it at the Riveted Press website.

Kate Gordon’s Bio

Kate Gordon grew up in a small town by the sea in Tasmania. She is the author of five books for young adults.

Kate received the 2016 IBBY Ena Noel Award and has been published internationally. In 2018, Kate was shortlisted in the Dorothy Hewett Awards for an Unpublished Manuscript, and was commended in the 2018 Vogel’s Awards.

Juno Jones, Word Ninja is Kate’s first series for younger readers. She wrote it for her daughter: a fierce ninja warrior maiden known to her family as “Tiger.”