Kiri Lightfoot

New Zealand

Kiri Lightfoot is an author of children’s and young adult books from Tāmaki Makaurau. Kiri's picture books are Every Second Friday (Hodder 2008), Ming's Iceberg (Scholastic NZ, 2021) and Te ngahere i te pō (Allen and Unwin NZ, 2025). Bear (Allen and Unwin NZ, 2024) is her first novel for young adults. It explores the challenges of single-parent and blended families, as well as struggles with mental health and anxiety. Kiri was inspired to write this story after years of volunteering as a Youthline counsellor. Bear won the Storylines New Zealand Tessa Duder YA Award for 2024. ​Kiri trained as a journalist but went on to work in television, writing scripts for children's television, and working as a production assistant and chaperone. She's also worked as an actor for stage and screen. ​Kiri is currently working on a middle-grade novel for readers aged nine and up. Image: Michelle Sokolich