Authors

Jonathan Adams

is a researcher in the Department of Historical Studies (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) and senior editor at the Society for Danish Language and Literature (Copenhagen, Denmark). Originally from Dorset, UK, he lives with his family in the countryside near Copenhagen.

Burak Akbay

is a prominent illustrator and designer of children’s books who lives in Istanbul, Turkey. From his origins in creating comic fanzines, he now illustrates books full-time and loves comics, graphic novels and film noir.

Lara Albanese

was a pioneering physicist and educator who authorde of over 20 books about science for children, focusing on the cosmos. She was professor of physics at the Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy. Lara passed away in late 2020.

Website: https://test.oratia.co.nz/

Diego Albuquerque

is an editor and screenwriter who works in television and film in Rio de Janeiro. He became Brazil’s youngest published author when the first edition of his book Branquinho, O Dognauta was released in 1982.

Wallace Badham

compiled the handwritten and bound histories he entitled The Iron-Bound Coast after his retirement. Raised in Karekare, he retained a deep affection for the area and its history until his death in 2001.

Martin Bailey

is a well-known illustrator who has created numerous children’s books over a long career. He recently founded Black Chook Books, a publisher of pre-school books. After being based for many years in Muriwai, to the west of Auckland, Martin now lives in Gisborne.

Website: https://www.martinbailey.co.nz

Nicoletta Benella

is an illustrator, graphic designer and artisan originally from north-eastern Italy, where she worked for many years as a senior visual designer for the fashion house Benetton. She lives with her family in Hatfields Beach, Auckland.

Lorraine Berridge McLeod

came from a farming background, was a teacher, principal lecturer at AUT, dean of early childhood education in Auckland and then
associate professor of education in the United Arab Emirates. A long-time colleague of Sir Toby Curtis, she co-authored Toby Curtis — Unfinished Business:Ki Hea Āpōpō with him. Lorraine lives in Urenui, Taranaki.

Jill Bevan-Brown

is a former lecturer in Inclusive Education at Massey University in Palmerston North. She retired in 2014 to care for her husband Winston, who has advanced Lewy Body Dementia, the subject of her first picture book for children. They have 12 grandchildren, and live in Palmerston North.

Hona Black

(Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a lecturer at Te Pūtahi a Toi: School of Māori Knowledge at Massey University in Palmerston North. He has worked as the Senior Māori Adviser on Massey’s Wellington campus, and been Head of Te Reo Māori at Hato Pāora College in Feilding. He lives with his whānau in Porirua.

Trish Bowles

is a freelance artist using watercolour and pencils who balances her work between commissioned paintings and panels and her main love, illustrating children’s books. She has more than 30 children’s books to her name. Trish lives in Christchurch.

Elīna Brasliņa

is an award-winning illustrator who has almost 20 books to her name, mostly for children and young adults. She has translated numerous Latvian books into English. Also a printmaker and film production designer, she lives in Riga, Latvia.

Website: http://www.elinabraslina.com

Steve Braunias

is a journalist, editor, reviewer and publisher. He is a staff writer for the New Zealand Herald and literary editor for current affairs website Newsroom. The author of 12 books, Steve has won more than 40 national awards for writing. He lives in Herne Bay, Auckland.

Ross Calman

(Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa, Kāi Tahu) is a well-known author and editor; his works include the revised Reed Book of Māori Mythology and Reed Book of Māori Exploration, along with several Māori–English dictionaries. Ross lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch. (Photo courtesy Auckland Libraries)
Forthcoming with Oratia Books: The NZ Series: The Treaty of Waitangi (January 2025)

Sandra Carrod

Rosie Colligan

is a Wellington-based illustrator and graphic artist who has a Bachelor of Design majoring in illustration from Massey University. She illustrates for clients in New Zealand and internationally, and formerly worked at Weta Digital.

Rauhina Cooper

R.D. (Ron) Crosby

is a Blenheim-based lawyer who was a partner in the law firm Gascoigne Wicks, specialising in resource management and tribal claims in the South Island. Now working as a barrister and author, Ron was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2011. His other works include Gilbert Mair: Te Kooti’s Nemesis and NZSAS: The First Fifty Years.

Website: https://www.roncrosby.co.nz/

Sir Toby Curtis

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Curtis

Bob Darroch

has written and illustrated numerous children’s books over a 30-year career, including his bestselling Little Kiwi series. He previously worked in advertising and as a cartoonist. Bob lives in Temuka, South Canterbury.

Paola Della Valle

completed her doctorate in English at the Universita degli Studi di Torino in 2007, specialising in Maori literature. Teacher, researcher and promoter of writing and cinema, she lives in Turin, Italy.

Peter Dowling

is the publisher of Oratia Books. Brought up in Christchurch and resident in Auckland, he has authored and revised a number of books on place names, international business and culture, including the updated edition of A.W. Reed’s Place Names of New Zealand in 2010.

Melanie Drewery

(Ngāti Māhanga) is the author of more than 20 children’s books including several books in the Nanny Mihi series and the award-winning Tahi: One Lucky Kiwi. She takes inspiration from Aotearoa’s beach and bush. Melanie works as a writer and potter from her home in Māpua, Nelson.

Website: https://www.read-nz.org/writer/drewery-melanie

Tessa Duder

is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated children’s authors, and has written more than 40 books in genres from junior fiction to adult history. Among her best-known works are the Alex quartet and her biography of Margaret Mahy. She received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement – Fiction in 2020. A keen sailor and advocate for children’s writing, she lives in Auckland.

Website: http://www.tessaduder.co.nz/

Tracy Duncan

is an author, illustrator and teacher who grew up on the Coromandel Peninsula but now lives in Upper Mouter, Nelson. She has illustrated and written a wide range of children’s books, including works in Melanie Drewery’s Nanny Mihi series.

Website: https://www.read-nz.org/writer/duncan-tracy

Brian Easton

is an eminent economist and statistician who is well known for his long-running columns in the Listener and Pundit. He has written extensively on many aspects of New Zealand’s economy, history and society, and is an honorary fellow or adjunct professor at six New Zealand universities. Brian lives in Wellington.

Website: https://www.pundit.co.nz/blogs/brian-easton

Gordon Ell

was a writer and publisher with a life-long interest in New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. He wrote more than 30 books for adults and children, and founded and managed the Bush Press. Gordon passed away in April 2021.

Sarah Ell

is an editor, writer and journalist who is the author of ten books. She has a Masters of Creative Writing from Auckland University and an innate love of New Zealand history and the environment. She lives with her family on Auckland’s North Shore.

Bronwyn Elsmore

is a recognised authority on Māori religions and early spiritual interaction with Christianity. Formerly a senior lecturer in religious studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, she is the author of works including Mana from Heaven and Te Kohititanga Marama. She lives in Auckland.

Website: http://www.flaxroots.com/

Stacy Eyles

(Ngāti Porou) is an art director, artist, and award-winning illustrator based in Wellington. He produces work in many different media, ranging from canvas and murals to clothing and television.

Jeff Evans

is a writer and photographer who works for clients in New Zealand and overseas. An authority on Māori canoes, Jeff is the author of numerous books, most recently Reawakened. He lives in Auckland.

Stephanie Huriana Fong

(Te Rarawa) is a registered translator of te reo Māori who also appears on Māori Television and in other media. She has translated several other books, including Rona Moon (Oratia Books, 2020). Stephanie lives with her whānau in Auckland.
Forthcoming with Oratia Books: There’s a Crab in my Castle /He Pāpaka kei roto i taku Pā Tūwatawata (October 2024)

Steve Forbes

is a freelance writer who has a background in local journalism, and is also well known as a guitarist in bands including The Kingites. He lives with his family in New Lynn, Auckland.

Clive Fugill

(Ngāti Ranginui, Tainui) was the Master Carver at the New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute for over 20 years. He has undertaken carving on numerous meeting houses, completed works around the world and trained many of this country’s leading workers in whakairo (wood carving). Now retired, Clive lives in Rotorua.

Stefano Fusi

is a Florence provincial councillor and former mayor of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, who has written a number of books on the Chianti region, past and present. Married to a New Zealander, he compiled the book To the Gateways of Florence: New Zealand Forces in Tuscany 1944.

Len Gale

spent a lifetime committed to arts and crafts, the revival of local artforms, and social activism. Noted as a worker in bone, greenstone, metal and woodhe was the author of four books: Greenstone Carving, Wood Carving, Creative Metal and Technology Basics. Len passed away in Auckland in 2016 at the age of 89

Rebecca Gibbs

Bradford Haami

(Ngāti Awa) is an established author, producer/director, scriptwriter and historian who has written extensively about Maori history and culture. His books include the bestselling True Red and the award-winning Ka Mau Te Wehi. After many years living with his family in West Auckland, Brad has now returned to his hometown of Whakatane.

Rongowhakaata Halbert

(1894–1973) was an authority on East Coast genealogy and history, and renowned for his command of te reo Maori. He was a member of many eminent boards, and adviser on Maori issues and language to bodies including the Maori Land Court, the Polynesian Society and the Department of Education.

Website: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4h4/halbert-rongowhakaata-pere

Mary Harris

was Clerk of the House of Representatives of New Zealand from 2007 until her retirement in 2015. She was the first woman to be appointed to this role, following a distinguished state sector career. Mary edited the fourth edition of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand with current Clerk, David Wilson.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Winifred_Harris

Paul Harrison

is the author or co-author of 11 published works on New Zealand aviation, with an emphasis on military aviation. Paul spent 35 years in the RNZAF, and was its unofficial historian. He has been editor of the RNZRSA Review and Aerolegacy, and a correspondent for Aviation News. He lives with his family in Paraparaumu.Wilson.

Sir Bob Harvey

is a well-known politician, civic leader and writer who was formerly mayor of Waitakere City. A prolific author, Bob is well known for books on Auckland’s West Coast (including Untamed Coast and Rolling Thunder), film and art. He edited Wallace Badham’s memoir The Iron-Bound Coast.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Harvey_(mayor)

Vanessa Hatley-Owen

is a teacher support and mother of three who was shortlisted for the Storylines Joy Cowley Picture Book Manuscript Award in 2014. Vanessa is a member of Storylines and SCBWI, writes reviews for the Booksellers New Zealand blog, and previously wrote reviews for the US-based blog The Library Adventure. She lives in Howick, Auckland.

Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck)

Andreas J. Hirsch

is a writer, art curator and photographic artist who lives in Vienna, Austria. He has written widely on the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and been curator of the Hundertwasser Museum in Vienna. His other writings include books on Picasso, HR Giger, Beethoven, and ars electronica.

Website: https://www.andreas-hirsch.net/

Chris Hoult

is a senior photographer known for his haunting landscapes and social documentary work in books such as Home Free (on New Zealand house-truckers) and Out West: A Photographic Journey through Auckland’s West. Chris lives outside Dargaville, Northland.

Website: http://www.chphotography.co.nz/

Joan Joass

is a retired primary school teacher with science degrees in geology and chemistry and a career that includes being a wine-laboratory technician and a bus driver. This is her first picture book. Joan lives on Herald Island, West Auckland.

Darryn Joseph

(Ngāti Maniapoto) is a senior lecturer in Māori language at Massey University, Palmerston North, and the author of more than 23 books, mainly for Māori immersion education. Darryn is a trustee of Storylines and was a judge for the 2018 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Website: https://www.read-nz.org/writer/joseph-darryn/

Robyn Kahukiwa

(Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important contemporary artists. Her work has been exhibited worldwide and is in numerous art galleries, museums and private collections. She has written and illustrated numerous children’s picture books.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robyn_Kahukiwa

David Kārena-Holmes

has been a tutor of Māori grammar at schools and institutions in New Zealand since the 1980s, and has published several books on the subject. He contributes a fortnightly column on Māori language in the Nelson Mail, and his poetry and other writings have been widely published. David lives in Whakatū/Nelson.

Merata Kawharu

(Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi) is a research professor at the Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago. She has written widely on themes of Māori leadership, resource management and community; in 2012, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Māori education.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merata_Kawharu

Ross Kinnaird

is an internationally recognised illustrator who lives in Auckland. He has collaborated with Dawn McMillan on many books including the best-selling I Need a New Bum! series and Doctor Grundy’s Undies, and works regularly with publishers in North America and Asia. Ross lives near the water on Auckland’s North Shore.

Website: https://rosskinnaird.blogspot.com/

Ani Huia Ligaliga

(Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tamanuhiri, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine) is an artist and illustrator. She studied art at Brigham Young University, Hawaii. Ani lives with her family in Hamilton.

Christin Lozano

began her career as a teacher and then became a children’s librarian. Having read hundreds of stories about kids in other places themes, she decided to write her own story for Pacific children. A long-term resident of Hawai’i, Christin now lives in San Diego, USA.

Paul Madgwick

(Kāti Mahaki, Kāi Tahu) is a highly-regarded authority on the history of Ngāi Tahu on the West Coast. Paul is the chair of Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, an iwi representative on Westland District Council, and editor of the Greymouth Star newspaper. A lifelong ‘Coaster’, Paul lives in Hokitika.

Hana Maihi

(Ngāti Whatua) has a degree in graphic design from Unitec, and works as a heritage arts adviser for her iwi Ngāti Whatua ki Orakei. She has contributed design content to a number of exhibitions and publications. She illustrated The Tunnel in our Backyard with Malcolm Paterson.

Dahlia Malaeulu

Giulia Malerba

is a writer, editorial manager, and co-author of three cookbooks. Her first children’s book is the international bestseller, Food Atlas. Giulia lives in the foodie city of Parma, Italy.

Emily Mayhew

is a military medical historian specialising in the study of severe casualty. She is the historian in residence in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and a research fellow in the Division of Surgery. She is the author of several other books including the Wounded trilogy.

Juan Camilo Mayorga

Roger McDonald

is an acclaimed Australian novelist, non-fiction writer, poet, and screenwriter. Among his ten novels are The Ballad of Desmond Kale, winner of the Miles Franklin Award, multiple-award-winning Mr Darwin’s Shooter and his most recent, A Sea-Chase. Roger divides his time between Waiheke Island and rural Victoria, and is a keen sailor.

Gavin McLean

wrote or contributed to over 50 books in a distinguished career as an historian. He was an authority on New Zealand shipping, and published widely on the topic while working as a senior historian at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Gavin passed away in April 2019.

Website: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/112047294/historian-gavin-mclean---informal-colourful-and-unfailingly-well-informed

Dawn McMillan

is a much-loved writer of children’s books and educational readers, who lives north of Thames. A former school teacher, she is now a full-time writer, and has enjoyed many successful collaborations with illustrator Ross Kinnaird including the international bestseller I Need a New Bum! (which has spawned a whole series) and Doctor Grundy’s Undies, as well as the Nature Stories series with Nikki Slade Robinson and Stephanie Thatcher.

Website: http://www.dawnmcmillan.co.nz/

Mariko Merritt

is a Hawaiian artist, book illustrator and graphic designer. Mariko works in a Honolulu bookshop, while making art, ceramics and picture books.

Sir Sidney (Hirini) Moko Mead

(Ngāti Awa) is a leading authority on Maori art and culture. He had a distinguished university career at Victoria University and internationally, has written numerous books, was a driving force behind the Te Maori exhibition, and has been a leader of his tribe, Ngāti Awa. He was knighted in 2009 for services to Maori and education. Now retired, he lives in Wellington.

Peter Millett

has published over 100 books worldwide, including bestsellers My Old Man, He Played Rugby and The Anzac Puppy. Peter writes fun stories for children from five years and up, aiming to make reading and writing a fun-filled pastime for kids worldwide. He lives with his family in Auckland.

Website: http://www.petermillettbooks.com/

J.H. Mitchell

(Tiaki Hikawera Mitira, 1870–1944) grew up in Thames, and from the age of 15 until his death lived in Wairoa. He was a dairy farmer, Maori interpreter, and authority on iwi history and whakapapa. He devoted his later years to the writing of Takitimu and the building of the Takitimu Carroll meeting house in Wairoa.

Leah Mulgrew

grew up in Karekare and studied painting at the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland. Since graduating in 2003 with a B.FA., she has lived and exhibited in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. She works in art administration in Auckland.

Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell

(Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Apa) is a Māori language and education consultant who. has a keen interest in governance and holds several directorships. Te Aorangi lives in Whakatāne with his family.

Keith Newman

is a writer with 50 years’ experience across mainstream, trade, business and music media. He began his research into the life of T. W. Ratana in 1986, leading two decades later to his books Ratana Revisited (2006) and the original Ratana the Prophet (2009). Keith has two children and six grandchildren, and lives with his wife Paula in Haumoana, Hawke’s Bay.

Belinda O'Keefe

is an editor and writer who lives in Christchurch with her husband, two boys and two cats. She based her book You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are! on stories that her dad told her while growing up. Her other books include and Partners in Slime (2021) and Journey through the Cat Door (2022).

Betsy Ochester

is an editor, writer and puzzle creator for children. Betsy has worked on more than 200 puzzle, activity and non-fiction books for kids. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Malcolm Paterson

belongs to Ngāti Whātua iwi and is most closely linked with the marae of Reweti, Haranui and Ōrākei. Previously a medical doctor, Malcolm now plays heritage, commercial and environmental roles for Ngāti Whātua. He lives with his family in Te Atatū, Auckland.

Tangaroa Paul

Joe Te Kani Pere

the great-grandson of Wi Pere, took over the writing of his biography from earlier family members. A former teacher, he has a doctorate in English from the University of Waikato. He brought the work to completion with the support of the Wi Pere Trust.

Krzysztof Pfeiffer

is an internationally renowned photographer who has published more than 40 books around the world. He works as a professional photographer from his home on Waiheke Island, Auckland.

Website: https://kpphotonz.wixsite.com/kpphotonz

Bruce Potter

is the award-winning illustrator of over 115 books including the internationally published children’s edition of The Whale Rider and the White Raven-listed Out of the Deep. Also known as an author, musician and stage performer, Bruce lives with his family in Alexandra.

Website: http://www.brucepotter.co.nz/

Christopher Pugsley

is an internationally recognised military historian. A retired Lieutenant-Colonel in the New Zealand Army, he was a lecturer in military studies at universities in New Zealand and Australia, and retired in 2012 as Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Among his recent works are Sandhurst: A Tradition of Leadership and A Bloody Road Home: The Second New Zealand Division in World War Two.

Website: http://christopherpugsley.com

Te Ama-Rere-Tai Rangihuna

 (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a registered Māori translator and cultural advisor who lives in Wellington. A mother of two young children, she is a keen translator of books and shows for young people.

Kanapu Rangitauira

(Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Te Whakatōhea) is a registered translator and teacher of te reo Māori. Among his book translations are Nanny Mihi’s Medicine/Ngā Rongoā a Nanny Mihi (Oratia Books, 2022) and Te Pukapuka ka kore e Pānuihia (2023). Kanapu lives with his family in Rotoiti, Rotorua.

Suzie-Jo Rasmussen

is an ESOL/bilingual specialist teacher. A resident of Oratia, Auckland, Suzie has been translating books and creating Samoan resources for children in bilingual education for more than 20 years.

A.W. Reed

(1908–1979) was an eminent publisher and author. With his uncle A.H. Reed he built A.H. & A.W. Reed into New Zealand’s leading book publisher of the twentieth century, and himself authored more than 200 books, a number of which remain in print. His works on Māori mythology have served New Zealanders for several generations.

Theresa Reihana

(Ngāti Hine) is a visual artist who produces authentic indigenous art and design that captures the wairua or spirit of Māori. She has exhibited worldwide, and undertaken a wide range of illustration. Theresa lives near Kaitaia, Tai Tokerau/Northland.

Website: https://www.maoriartist.com/

Ant Sang

is a cartoonist based in Auckland who has authored award-winning graphic novels that have published internationally. Ant has also worked in film, television and theatre, and was lead designer on the TV show bro’Town.

Website: https://www.antsang.co.nz/

Harry Sangl

was a professional artist in Europe before marrying a New Zealander and emigrating to live in Auckland in 1969. Harry continued an illustrious painting career well into his nineties; an exhibition of prints of his kuia moko works took place at the Depot Artspace in Devonport, Auckland, in March 2019. He passed away in September 2023 at the age of 101.

Lawrence Schimel

writes in both Spanish and English and has published over 120 books as author or anthologist, in many different genres: fiction, poetry, essays, graphic novels, children’s books and even a cookbook. He lives in Madrid, Spain, where in addition to his writing he works as a literary translator.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Schimel

Dick Scott

(born 1923) was a fearless and often peerless popular historian whose works included the ground-breaking 151 Days, Ask That Mountain and Would a Good Man Die? He was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to historical research in 2002, and the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement (Non-Fiction) in 2007. Dick passed away on New Year’s Day 2020.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Scott_(historian)

Febe Sillani

is the celebrated author or illustrator of over 80 children’s books, many published internationally. Among her best-known creations is Celestino the little elephant. She lives in Trieste, Italy.

Website: https://febesillani.blogspot.com/

Suzanne Simpson

is an artist who has illustrated numerous picture books and educational texts for children worldwide, for publishers including Cambridge University Press, Sunshine Books and Weldon Owen. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, she now lives with her family in Titirangi, Auckland.

Website: https://suzannesimpson.myportfolio.com/

Tania Simpson

(Tainui, Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tahu) is CEO of Māori development company Kōwhai Consulting, Deputy Chair of Landcare Research New Zealand, and a member of the Waitangi Tribunal. She has written several works of tribal history. Tania lives with her family in Hamilton.

Nikki Slade Robinson

is an award-winning children’s illustrator and author who lives in Opotiki. She has established a reputation for innovative, fun children’s books including the Muddle and Mo series and The Seven Stars of Matariki.

Website: https://authors.org.nz/author/nikkislade-robinson/

Don Stafford

was a pioneering author of Māori and regional history who published 23 books during a long and distinguished career. Don received awards and honours including an MBE and an honorary doctorate from Waikato University, and was made Rotorua’s official historian. He passed away in 2010.

Website: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/don-stafford

Julian Stokoe

is a mixed media and animation director with a background in TV and design. He is director of mobile media developer Yoozoo. Julian lives with his wife and family in Laingholm, Auckland.

Website: https://www.yoozoo.nz

Jeff Szusterman

is an actor, director and teacher. For the past decade he has developed and directed theatre shows for Duffy Books in Homes along with various other projects. Jeff lives with his family in Waitakere, Auckland.

Paul Tapsell

(Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Raukawa) is an honorary professorial fellow at the Australian National University, and was formerly professor of Māori Studies at the University of Otago and director Māori at the Auckland Museum. A graduate of Auckland and Oxford universities, his previous books are Pukaki: a comet returns (1999), a Montana Book Award winner, and Ko tawa: Maori treasures of New Zealand (2006), with photos by Krzysztof Pfeiffer.

Website: http://www.maramatanga.co.nz/person/professor-paul-tapsell

Pā Henare Tate

(Ngāti Manawa, Te Rarawa) was a senior Māori leader in the Catholic Church. A former lecturer at the Catholic Institute of Theology, he obtained a doctorate from the Melbourne College of Divinity, and was a specialist in Māori spirituality. Pā Tate retired to Motutī, in the northern Hokianga; he passed away in April 2017.

Website: http://blogs.library.auckland.ac.nz/arts/archive/2010/11/24/Pa-Henare-Tates-thesis-----Towards-Some-Foundations.aspx

Jean Tekura Mason

Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Website: https://www.izzyjoyart.com

Munro Te Whata

(Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) is an illustrator, animator, artist and writer who has illustrated several books and worked extensively in digital and print media. He lives with his young family in South Auckland.

Website: https://munrotewhata.blogspot.com/

Stephanie Thatcher

is an author, picture book illustrator and graphic designer. She worked as a designer in Auckland and Dublin for ten years before embarking on the first of her many children’s books. Stephanie lives with her family in Huia, Auckland.

Website: https://www.illustration.co.nz/thatcher.html

Tim Tipene

(Ngāti Kurī, Te Uri-o-Hau, Ngāti Whātua) is the award-winning author of children’s picture books and junior novels including Kura Toa: Warrior School and Taming the Taniwha. A youth and self-defence counsellor, he leads the Warrior Kids programme (outlined in Warrior Kids: Warrior Training for Children). Tim lives with his family in Rānui, Auckland.

Website: https://www.warriorkids.org/; https://www.timtipene.com

Felipe Vellozo

is an illustrator, cartoonist and designer who has illustrated a number of popular children’s books. Felipe lives and works in Rio de Janeiro.

Tommaso Vidus Rosin

is an illustrator and graphic designer who has illustrated numerous books for children. Tommaso also creates cartoons and calligraphy. He lives in Parma, Italy.

Renisa Viraj Maki

Tarisi Vunidilo

is a Fijian-New Zealand archaeologist and curator who specialises in indigenous museum and heritage management. She was born in Suva, Fiji and has studied and taught at universities in New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii. She is currently an assistant professor at California State University, Los Angeles, and runs the social media platform Talanoa with Dr T to enable connection between Fiji’s primary school children and their heritage.

Zak Waipara

(Rongowhakataa, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu) has illustrated and written for children’s books, comics, newspaper graphics, motion graphics and animations, and lectured in digital media at Auckland University of Technology. He is currently programme leader of Animation College’s new Bachelor of Animation Degree.

Website: https://zakwaipara.carbonmade.com/

Philip Webb

is a full-time freelance illustrator of children’s books who has created illustrations for many picture books, educational readers and chapter books. He has won New Zealand Post Awards for Dragor and Piggity-Wiggity-Jiggity-Jig. He lives in Wellington and works from his studio overlooking Wellington Harbour.

Philippa Werry

is an award-winning author of books for children, including fiction, non-fiction plays and poetry. She is well known for history books including Anzac Day and Best Mates, which explore themes of war and peace. She lives in Wellington and loves to travel (her writing has taken her to Gallipoli as well as to Antarctica).

Website: https://philippawerry.co.nz/

David Wilson

is the fourteenth and current Clerk of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. He was appointed in 2015, following a varied state sector career. David edited the fourth edition of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand with the previous Clerk, Mary Harris.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Martin_Wilson

Richard Wolfe

Website: https://www.read-nz.org/writer/wolfe-richard/

Matthew Wright

is the prolific author of more than 60 books on a wide range of topics for all ages, principally relating to New Zealand history. A highly respected historian, he is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Among his best-known works are the Bateman Illustrated History of New Zealand and Living on Shaking Ground. He lives in Wellington.

Website: http://matthewwright.net/

Marc Bonny

grew up in Titirangi and after returning in 1995 , has dedicated himself to researching its history. He is an active writer, researcher and contributor to the West Auckland Historical Society.

Joy Cowley

is an internationally recognised author of fiction for children (as well as adults). She has published more that 600 early readers along with numerous novels and short stories. In 2005 she was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature, and in 2017 became a Member of the Order of New Zealand, the country’s highest honour. She lives in Featherston.

Owen Gill

is a public policy advocate who has worked in New Zealand and Australia in urban services, banking and regulation. He has an MBA from Macquarie University and degrees in politics and public policy from Victoria University of Wellington. He was born in Auckland’s west and lives there now.