I hadn’t planned to write about New Zealand authors this week, but this morning, while enjoying coffee at my local café, I came across two book reviews featuring New Zealand writers. I also recently read My French Affair by Amanda Taylor-Ace, which reminded me just how strongly New Zealand holds its own in literary circles.
Before becoming a full-time freelance editor and blogger, I worked in academic libraries, so books are in my DNA, giving me another reason to write this post 😊
In this post, I shine the spotlight on three award-winning, iconic authors who have shaped the literary landscape of New Zealand and four lesser-known, writers I have recently discovered.
The Icons
Witi Ihimaera
.jpg){kind=link}
Short bio
If the name does not ring a bell, the acclaimed film The Whale Rider, based on the book with the same name, most likely will.
Auckland-based Witi Ihimaera is a Māori writer whose work has shaped New Zealand literature since the 1970s.
Best known for The Matriarch and The Whale Rider, he explores Māori identity, history and the complexities of modern life.
Ihimaera was the first Māori author to publish both a short story collection and a novel, and he has expanded his craft into opera, theatre and film.
His literary achievements include rewriting his early works and editing anthologies of Māori literature. He remains a vital force in indigenous and global storytelling.
Genres
- Fiction
- Memoir
- Indigenous storytelling
Selected notable works
- Pounamu Pounamu (1972)
- Tangi (1973)
- The Whale Rider (1987) – Adapted into an acclaimed film
- Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies (1994)
- Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1995)
- Māori Boy: A Memoir of Childhood (2014)
Awards
- Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship 1993
- Distinguished Companion in the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for services to literature
- Laureate Award 2009
- France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 2017
- Māori Boy: A Memoir of Childhood won the General Non-Fiction Award at the 2016 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
- Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement 2017
Further reading
- The Arts Foundation: Witi Ihimaera
- Read NZ: Witi Ihimaera
- Academy of New Zealand Literature: Witi Ihimaera
- Goodreads: Witi Ihimaera
Maurice Gee
Short bio
Maurice Gee recently passed away, and this bio is based on the obtiuary published on the Stuff website. See ‘Further reading’ below)
Maurice Gee (1931–2025) was one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed and versatile writers, known for both his adult fiction and children’s literature. His work spanned decades and left a lasting impression on generations of readers.
Under the Mountain, which features a battle against alien forces beneath Auckland’s volcanoes, is one of Gee’s classic and standout works.
Two widely recognised masterpieces are Plumb and Going West. The first is about a family saga based on his grandfather, while the latter explores the emotional landscapes of memory, secrecy and class.
Gee had a rare ability to depict psychological states with sharp, physical clarity, and his stories often reflected his left-wing, secular worldview. Though often seen as chronicling ‘Old New Zealand’, his themes of power, repression and resistance remain deeply relevant.
Gee’s passing at 93 marked the end of a literary era, but his works continue to resonate.
Selected notable works
- In My Father’s Den (1972) – adapted into a film
- Plumb (1978)
- Under the Mountain (1979) – adapted into a TV series and a film
- The Halfmen of O (1982)
- Going West (1992)
- Blindsight (2005)
- Salt (2007)
Awards
Maurice Gee had an extraordinary impact across adult fiction, young adult and children’s literature in New Zealand and internationally, for which he won numerous awards.
Below is a selection of his most significant accolades; for a complete list, visit Authorpaedia and the websites listed under ‘Further reading’.
- The James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Plumb (1978)
- 1st Prize for Fiction at the Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards for Going West (1993)
- Gaelyn Gordon Award for Under the Mountain (2004)
- Honorary Doctorate of Literature from the University of Auckland (2004)
- Deutz Medal for Fiction at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards for Blindsight (2006)
- New Zealand Post Young Adult Fiction Award for Salt (2007)
- New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Copyright Licensing NZ Award for Young Adult Fiction for The Severed Land (2017)
Further reading
Stuff: ‘A remarkable legacy in New Zealand literature’ – writer Maurice Gee has died
The Arts Foundation: Maurice Gee
Academy of New Zealand Literature: Still Waters Run Deep
Newsroom: An Ode to .. Maurice Gee
Alan Duff
.jpg){kind=link}
Short bio
Alan Duff is best known for Once Were Warriors, a powerful novel inspired by his upbringing. The book became a literary and cinematic landmark, followed by a successful sequel.
Duff has written eleven novels, along with memoirs, radio pieces and newspaper columns.
But Duff is so much more than a great author.
He is also the founder of Duffy Books in Homes, a programme that provides books to children in low-income communities.
When he realised the absence of books in homes like the one he grew up in, he decided to act. He launched Duffy Books in Homes in the mid-1990s to tackle poor literacy and underachievement in Māori.
The initiative gained momentum when logistics tycoon Bruce Plested offered funding and long-term involvement. The programme now operates in around 500 low-decile schools.
To date, it has delivered 15 million books thanks to a growing team and expanded sponsorship.
Selected notable works
- Once Were Warriors (1990)
- What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996)
- A Conversation With My Country (2019)
Awards
- Montana Fiction Book of the Year Award for What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (1997)
- PEN Best First Book for Once Were Warriors (1990)
- Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship (1991)
- Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards, second place for Once Were Warriors (1991)
Further reading
- Stuff: How an author and billionaire changed the lives of thousands of Kiwi kids
- Academy of New Zealand Literature: Alan Duff
- Books in Homes
- RNZ: Alan Duff: Back straight-talking with a new book
Newly Discovered
Kirsty Powell
I discovered Kirsty Powell in a café this morning, but when I did a bit of digging, I realised this author is not actually a new voice in New Zealand literary circles (shame on me). Serendipity at work 😊
Check the links under ‘Further reading’ for her bio.
Her newest novel The Strength of Old Shale blends psychological depth with lyrical language.
Notable works
The Strength of Eggshells explores the lives of strong rural New Zealanders, set against the fragile isolation of farm upbringing. (The Reading Revolution)
The Strength of Old Shale is a standalone sequel to The Strength of Eggshells, involving some of the characters from her first book.
Awards
- New Zealand Booklovers Award 2020 for The Strength of Eggshells
Further reading
Amanda Taylor-Ace
Amanda Taylor-Ace was born in New Zealand and moved to France in 1996, where she converted one 18th-century house into a guest house and another into a cooking school, Maison de Maitresse.
She lives in France from April to November and then spends the other half of the year in New Zealand (the dream life, right?).
My French Affair, her only book so far, is a charming account of midlife adventure and finding love online. I have just read it, and I can assure you that this memoir of romance and reinvention in Provence is the perfect book for a rainy Sunday under the duvet.
Read more about Amanda Taylor-Ace on Penguin.
This New Zealand Herald article about Amanda Taylor-Ace’s cooking school in France has some impressive images of her 18th-century home in St Maximin, France: Maison de Maitresse.
Vanessa Robertson
I know Vanessa through work, and when she told me she had written a book about the life of her dad, I decided to read it.
The following is my review of I Asked, And He Talked on Goodreads:
I Asked, and He Talked is the memoir of Harold Robertson, the author’s father, offering a deeply personal window into his life in New Zealand and abroad.
From a childhood shaped by personal loss to frontline combat at Monte Cassino, Harold’s story is moving and historically rich. It captures the spirit of a generation that lived through the Great Depression, the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake and the horrors of World War II.
Harold’s recollections of growing up in areas of New Zealand familiar to me added a special layer of connection, and his vivid account of World War II resonated deeply with my European family’s wartime stories.
The addition of photographs and supporting evidence makes it a valuable contribution to New Zealand and World War II history.
The book is written by Vanessa Robertson, but the story is told through the voice of her father. While reading, it feels as if Harold is sitting in front of you.
I highly recommend I Asked, and He Talked to anyone interested in an honest, firsthand account of life in 20th-century New Zealand and the experience of this amazing man who fought selflessly in the Battle of Cassino.
I Asked, and He Talked is published by Willsonscott Publishing, a New Zealand publisher who specialises in military history, and can be purchased from their website.
The book is also available from local bookstores and most online platforms.
Kaarina Parker
I spotted a review of Fulvia in the local newsletter. I had never heard of this author, so I did a bit of digging.
Kaarina Parker is a new author on the New Zealand literary scene, and Fulvia, her first novel, is a richly imagined novel with historical and feminist undertones.
According to her bio on the Allen & Unwin’s website, Kaarina Parker
has a particular love for the extraordinary, largely uncredited women of the late Roman Republic. Kaarina also has an established career as a fashion model, and is a voice for diversity in the fashion industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Check out the reviews of Fulvia on Goodreads and NZ Booklovers.
Fulvia is available on Amazon and on the following New Zealand platforms: