Kathryn van Beek
Kathryn’s short stories have appeared in The Sunday Star-Times, takahē, Fresh Ink and Bonsai. A graduate of Victoria University’s Institute of Modern Letters, Kathryn is a winner of the Mindfood Short Story Competition and the Headland Short Story Prize.
View Kathryn's full publication record on her website.
Genre:
Skills:
- Corporate Writing
- Freelance Writing
- Illustration
- Print Media Writing (magazines/newspapers)
- Public Speaking
- Readings
- Readings (adults)
- Short Story Writing
- Website Content
- Workshops (adults)
- Workshops (children/schools)
Branch:
Otago/Southland
Location:
Otago
Publications:
Bruce Finds A Home
On her way home from school, Kate finds a kitten. She knocks at every door in the street and speaks to all her neighbours . . . but no one can give the kitten a home. What will Kate do?
Bruce Finds A Home is based on the true story of Bruce the Cat, who was found on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand, when he was just one day old. At first Bruce was a tiny little creature who had to be bottle-fed around the clock, but now he’s big and strong (and a little bit naughty). Bruce lives with his humans and his “big sister” Jager, who is also a rescue cat.
Bruce Goes Outside
Kate's tiny kitten wants to go outside. He struggles with the cat flap, annoys a bird . . . and ends up on the wrong side of the fence. What will Kate do?
Bruce Goes Outside follows on from Bruce Finds A Home, which is based on the true story of Bruce the Cat. Bruce was found on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand, when he was just one day old. At first Bruce was a tiny little creature who had to be bottle-fed around the clock, but now he’s big and strong (and a little bit naughty). Bruce lives with his humans and his “big sister” Jager, who is also a rescue cat.
Pet
Pet is a dark and humorous short story collection that explores our relationships with children, lovers, and other animals. In these 18 stories we meet a girl in a standoff with the neighbourhood goose killer, a druggy who turns possums into pop culture icons, and an emotional support animal gone wild.
“Hectic, chatty, very modern New Zealand, very, very readable.”
—Steve Braunias
“These beautifully crafted stories about humans and their animals and animals and their humans are sharp, taut, brilliantly written exposés of our untamed behaviour to each other. Kathryn’s writing is intense and merciless but totally entertaining and gripping from start to finish.”
—Stuart Hoar