Dr Kelly Gardiner's research work includes both creative practice and literary studies, particularly literary history. Her research interests include life writing and especially biofiction, literature for children and young adults, and historical fiction, with a focus on gender and sexuality, and these are also themes in her creative work. She contributes to international networks on gender and youth literature, and national and international communities of practice and research in children's literature, historical fiction and biofiction. She currently serves on the Board of the Australian Society of Authors and is President of Sisters in Crime Australia.

Kelly co-ordinates the Writers on Campus series of author talks, in collaboration with Professor Clare Wright and the Literary La Trobe initiative.

Her latest book is Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, co-written with Sharmini Kumar and published by HarperCollins. Her previous books include a time slip trilogy for young readers, The Firewatcher Chronicles, consisting of Brimstone, Phoenix and Vigil; and  1917, a novel for young readers as part of Scholastic's 'Australia's Great War' series. It was shortlisted for the NSW Premier's History Awards.

Her novel for adults, Goddess, is based on the remarkable life of the 17th-Century French swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d'Aubigny. It was the creative component of her doctoral project at La Trobe, and is being adapted for the screen.

Her other books include The Sultan's Eyes and Act of Faith, historical novels for young adults set during the time of the English Civil Wars and the Spanish Inquisition. Both books were shortlisted and commended for a number of literary awards including the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and were among the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Notable Books.

Her books for younger readers are the 'Swashbuckler' adventure trilogy - Ocean Without End, The Pirate's Revenge and The Silver Swan - and a picture book, Billabong Bill's Bushfire Christmas.

Kelly has worked on newspapers, magazines, and websites, and her features, book reviews and travel writing have appeared in magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, Marie Claire, New Idea, and Australian Good Taste.

Her poems have been published in journals such as Southerly, Going Down Swinging, The Australian Women's Book Review, Mattoid and Veranda, and her short fiction in anthologies such as Meet Me at the Intersection, And Then... adventure stories, and collections of fiction for children.

Her academic writing has appeared in publications such as TEXT Journal, The American Book Review, the Australian Journal of Crime Fiction, the Journal of Commonwealth Literature, and scholarly collections including the Routledge Companion to Biofiction, and Conversations with Biographical Novelists: Truthful Fictions Across the Globe.