In the beautiful South Island of Aotearoa...

I write academic books, fiction, and children’s storybooks... See a list of my books in print here. 
Marie Connolly Books

My Career

Throughout my career I have worked as a professional social worker in child welfare, and then as an academic specialising in the areas of children’s development, children’s rights and child protection systems. I now bring these experiences to the writing of adult fiction and children’s storybooks. On the pages of this website you will find links to my publications, new books and older books that remain in print. I hope you continue to enjoy them.

Academia and Government

I started working at the University of Canterbury as an academic in 1990. It was a very supportive scholarly environment where I was able to use my professional child welfare social work experience in my research and teaching. It was where I wrote my first books and where I established my academic career. I worked as the head of social work and founding director of the Te Awatea Violence Research Centre. In 2005 I left my Associate Professor position to take up the senior executive role of Chief Social Worker in the New Zealand government where I provided advice in my specialist area of child welfare.

Professor, The University of Melbourne

In 2010, I moved to Australia to take up the position of Chair and Head of Social Work at the University of Melbourne. It was an exciting move that enabled me to lead an exceptional team of academics, and to consolidate my own research profile. I provided advice to governments nationally and internationally on matters relating to child welfare, and my research projects that analysed international child protection systems took me across the Western world and also to places such as Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives. In 2018 I was awarded the Hislop Medal for services to social work.

Writer of fiction and children’s books

While I remain affiliated to the University of Melbourne as Professor, in 2019 I retired from my academic role and returned to Aotearoa New Zealand. Having published 20 academic books, I decided it was time to turn my writing energies to novels and children’s story books. I write in the beautiful environment of Akaroa in the South Island. I am also chair of the RAWA Charitable Trust (Readers and Writers Akaroa), and I am deputy chair of  the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA).
Marie Connolly Books

My Books

My writing spans three very different areas...


Academic non-fiction

Throughout my career I have published extensively in my area of scholarship, including 18 books. There is a list of books remaining in print here and a full list of publications, including articles can be found on Google Scholar or on ResearchGate 

I have written on Family Group Conferencing, children’s rights and the development of responsive child welfare systems across international settings.

My textbooks have also been widely adopted, Social Work Context and Practice (Oxford University Press 2017), is now in its 4th edition. Similarly, Social Work Theory and Practice, (Cambridge University Press 2019) is now in its 3rd edition.

My two most recent academic books, Strategic Leadership in Social Work Education (Springer 2019) and Service Navigation (Macmillan International 2020) explore the ways in which professional systems can be more responsive to the challenges of 21st century practice.


Fiction


Dark Sky 
Criminal psychologist and academic Nellie Prayle loves solving murders and when a professor of astronomy is found dead at the Mt John Observatory at Tekapo in New Zealand’s beautiful Mackenzie Country, Detective Jack Simmons calls on her to help with the police investigation. 

It’s May 2015 and astronomers gather from across the globe to  celebrate the observatory’s  50th anniversary.  As Nellie returns to her old stomping ground she appreciates that nothing in the world of academia is straightforward…

Published by Quentin Wilson Publishing, Dark Sky can be purchased here: 

https://www.quentinwilsonpublishing.com/


Children’s storybooks

In 2020 I joined up with Jenny Lee, artist and wonderful children’s book illustrator, to develop the Our Backyard children’s storybook series. We know that developing a sense of place is important to a child’s growing sense of belonging and identity. Generally children are eager to learn about their environment and through their experiences they come to know that they have connections to the physical world - that they are a part of, and share, a wider cultural life. Through our books we want to build children’s connections to Aotearoa - whether they live in New Zealand or not - we want them to remember Aotearoa’s stories, and to encourage a sense of adventure in years to come.

In 2021 we completed a six-book South Island series based on adventures in Akaroa, Punakaiki, Rakiura Stewart Island, the Waitaki valley to Dunedin, Golden Bay, and a train trip to Picton . Our children’s books cost $20 each. If you would like to purchase one contact me on fantailprint@icloud.com, or via the ‘contact’ box below. 
Marie Connolly Books

News...

POSTED 8 September 2025

I am thrilled to let you know that my crime novel, Dark Sky, is a finalist in this year’s Ngaio Marsh Awards in the Best First Novel category. Woohoo!


POSTED 19 March 2025

I am delighted to let you know that my new non-fiction book that celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Orion Powerhouse Gallery will be launched in early April. It is a tribute to a community-led gallery that has hosted outstanding exhibitions and performances for over half a century. The book can be purchased for $45 by contacting the gallery directly: https://www.akaroaartgallery.co.nz/contact-us.

POSTED 25 May 2024

A great event on Friday - CULPRITS IN CANTERBURY - in the ‘Mystery in the Library’ series at the terrific Rangiora Library - thank you Jason for being such a wonderful host. I joined Bill Nagelkerke (The Ghost House) and Roger Simpson (Resurrection), both 2024 Ngaio Marsh entrants, in an evening of criminally good conversation. 

POSTED 18 May 2024

Another visit to a fabulous bookshop on Thursday -  Timaru Booksellers. Thank you Lydia and the team for  providing such a lovely welcome:

https://bayhillbooks.co.nz/pages/4776-ABOUTUS

POSTED 14 May 2024

I’m delighted that Dark Sky found its way into the NZ best sellers list last week (scraped in at #8). Steve Braunias at the Readingroom made some funny remarks about whodunit (no spoilers!)

https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/10/this-weeks-bestselling-books-may-10/


POSTED 6 May 2024

Two more visits to great bookshops giving author’s talks:

The Page and Post Booksellers in Geraldine in the Mackenzie Country - Nellie Prayle’s old stomping ground. Thanks Belinda and team for bringing together such a great bunch of people. 

Followed by a visit to Petronella’s Gallery and Bookstore in Takapō - great to talk in the heart of Dark Sky country.  Such a wonderful bookstore, and a great chance to talk about telescopes on the doorstep of Mt John! Thank you Wilma for creating such a welcoming author’s talk.

POSTED 22 April 2024

Author’s talks in two great bookshops in April where I spoke about Dark Sky:

Wardini’s Bookshop in Napier - what a fabulous bookshop, and a lovely audience! Thanks Lou and everyone at Wardini. 

And last week at Page and Blackmore Booksellers in Nelson - another wonderful bookshop where we chatted about Dark Sky and where it fitted on the spectrum from cosy crime to the gritty, hard-boiled crime thrillers…Dark Sky is toward the cosy crime, whodunnit end!  Thanks to Jo and the terrific people who came along. 


POSTED 24 March 2024

Dark Sky,  my new crime novel,  will be launched at 5.30pm 3 April at UBS, the University Bookshop, University Drive, Ilam, Christchurch. 


POSTED 3 December 2023

I am delighted to let you know that my new crime novel, Dark Sky, will be published by Quentin Wilson Publishing. The launch is scheduled for March 2024. The first in the Nellie Prayle series, it is set at New Zealand’s Mt John Observatory in the beautiful Mackenzie country. 


POSTED 18 August 2023

I am pleased to let you know that a new book has been published by the Akaroa Community Arts Council, Fantabulous Fables, a collection of once-upon-a-time tales retold by local writers from Banks Peninsula.  It is available in Akaroa shops, and also online at Pohatu Penguins: 

https://www.pohatu.co.nz/shop/Books/Fantabulous+Fables.html

If you have any trouble accessing a copy just let me know. 


POSTED 8 August 2023

I am delighted to let you know that a 4th edition of Social Work: From theory to practice, has been published this month by Cambridge University Press: https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/books/social-work/77D4CC9523CDF57628286762407261D5


POSTED 13 March 2023

As some of you know, I write a regular film review blog that is available on this website. Some of you are subscribers to the blog and receive a notice from me when there is a new post. I am now pleased to let you know that I have now published a freely available book of the posts in PDF format that I hope you will enjoy reading. If you download it to iBooks, it should display with the usual ease of content page access etc. This means you can dip into reviews without having to search back through the blogs. You will find the link here: 

https://marieconnollybooks.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Friday-Film-Review.pdf


POSTED 21 December 2022
Just a short note to thank everyone for their interest and contributions to my website this year, and I hope you all have a splendid festive season.
If you you are looking for a children’s storybook, you will find them on the Our Backyard website: https://www.ourbackyard.store/

POSTED 21 October 2021

This week Jenny Lee and I published the last two books in the Our Backyard children’s picture book series - six books in all. The last two books - ‘Ella and Tai See Golden Bay’, and ‘Ella, Tai & the Train to Picton’ completes their adventures in the South Island. The books are available in South Island bookshops, and on our website:

https://www.ourbackyard.store/

POSTED 2 September 2021

I am thrilled to say that despite lockdowns Jenny Lee and I have published two new children’s books in the Our Backyard series. In the first new book Ella, joined by her cousin Tai, take a big trip down South to Dunedin, travelling through the beautiful Waitaki valley on the way. In the second book they go down even further and visit Rakiura Stewart Island. If you are interested in seeing these books, go to our website:

https://www.ourbackyard.store/


POSTED12 November 2020
I am delighted to report the announcement today that Jenny Lee and I have been awarded a grant from Copyright New Zealand to complete the South Island series of the Our Backyard children’s storybooks! See... http://www.copyright.co.nz/about/news-and-event/successful-recipients-announced-for-the-contestable-fund-grants-2020
POSTED 22 OCTOBER:
From 9am to 3pm on 15 November 2020 we will have a table at the Our Backyard Book Fair, to be held at the St Columba Community Centre on Vermont Street, Auckland. Jenny will be available to talk about the books, and about her wonderful artwork that brings the Our Backyard series to life. If you are in Auckland do pop in and see her.
Marie Connolly Books

and if you would like to get in touch

Leave a message below and I will respond as soon as I can
Name E-mail Message Submit