Kate received her PhD in social anthropology from the LSE in 1997 and has been associated with the Institute of Community Studies and Mutual Aid Centre (also based at Victoria Park Square) since 1992.

Kate researches issues relating to race, community and conflict in east London. She co-authored The New East End with Geoff Dench and Michael Young, which was published in February 2006 by Profile Books.

Before reading Social Anthropology at the LSE she had a career in book publishing: with Heinemann (1974-1988) (director 1984-88); Secker & Warburg (director, 1984-88), Virago (non-executive director, 1994-96); and Carcanet Press, Manchester, poetry publisher, where she has been chair since 1989. She has been a Trustee of the Runnymede Trust since 1997, a Director of George Piper Dances since 2001, and a Trustee of the Poetry Archive since 2001.  Kate was also a Trustee of the Young Foundation until 2009.