She grew up in Dunedin and has also lived in Auckland, Waiheke Island, and Australia.
[1] McCurdie has worked as a teacher and librarian at the Blueskin Bay library.
[4][5] McCurdie has also been published in Landfall[6][7] and Takahē,[8] and her work has appeared on Radio New Zealand.
[9] Her first novel, The Unquiet was named as one of Storylines Trust's Notable New Zealand Children's and Young Adult Books of 2007.
[11] Her poem Bridge received a highly commended in the 2017 Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize,[12] and she also received a highly commended in the 2012 prize.