Catherine Woulfe

Books editor

Catherine Woulfe is the editor of The Spinoff Books and 1972 Magazine. She is an award-winning news and features journalist, and longtime books obsessive. She welcomes pitches of essays or reviews at catherinewoulfe@thespinoff.co.nz

An interview with Casey Lucas, moments before the avalanche hits

An interview with Casey Lucas, moments before the avalanche hits

On ice hockey, geologic time, growing up queer in Utah – and falling in love at Queenstown airport.

By Catherine Woulfe | 21st November, 2022

British author Bethany Clift and her debut novel

The pandemic novel that’s about to be a phenomenon

The new virus was said to have a 100% kill rate. But it left one woman standing.

By Catherine Woulfe | 10th February, 2021

The poet in his clinic at the Horowhenua Youth Health Service (Photo: Ōriwa Hakaraia)

‘Above all else, don’t bullshit’: Doctor-poet Glenn Colquhoun on caring, and writing, for young people

Glenn Colquhoun on the powerful medicine of poetry.

By Catherine Woulfe | 25th January, 2021

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in the film version of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

A sincere appreciation of The Hunger Games

On the release of a new Hunger Games novel, we looked back and marvelled.

By Catherine Woulfe | 28th December, 2020

Kākahi Marae, 2008; from the book Observations of a Rural Nurse, by Sara McIntyre (Photo: Sara McIntyre)

Twenty books that were a tonic in 2020

In which we throw convention to the wind and simply tell you what we loved – and they're all local.

By Catherine Woulfe | 15th December, 2020

Scream into the festive void with Young Macaulay Culkin (Image: Home Alone)

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending 10 December

What were you buying as we hit December double digits?

By Catherine Woulfe | 11th December, 2020

The type machine: A review of Tom Sainsbury’s Field Guide

The type machine: A review of Tom Sainsbury’s Field Guide

He's one of our best-known comics. Why didn't he write a better book?

By Catherine Woulfe | 2nd December, 2020

(Image: Tina Tiller)

Victory Park is the book you’ll want to give to the ones you love

Victory Park is the first novel from Mākaro Press since August 2019, when they put out a little book called Auē.

By Catherine Woulfe | 10th October, 2020

(Photo: Colleen Lenihan; design work Tina Tiller)

Eileen Merriman’s new novel is sharp, sensual and her finest yet

Quite possibly the best NZ novel of the year, according to our books editor.

By Catherine Woulfe | 30th August, 2020

Edward Cullen, transfixed (Photo: Supplied)

I spent far too much time thinking about Midnight Sun

A review of the new Twilight novel, which is actually the old story, told from the perspective of vampire Edward Cullen.

By Catherine Woulfe | 18th August, 2020