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Tina Makereti
Photo Credit: © Robert Cross

Tina Makereti

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Tina Makereti writes novels, essays and short stories. The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke is her fourth book. Her short story, ‘Black Milk’, won the Pacific Regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize (2016). Her first novel, Where the Rekohu Bone Sings was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and won the 2014 Nga Kupu Ora Aotearoa Maori Book Award for Fiction, also won by her short story collection, Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa (Huia, 2011). In 2009 Tina was the recipient of the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing (Non-fiction) and the Pikihuia Award for Best Short Story Written in English. She has presented her work all over New Zealand and in Frankfurt, Taipei, Jamaica and the UK. Makereti has a PhD Creative Writing from Victoria University and Tina teaches Creative Writing and Oceanic literatures at Massey University. She is of Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Ati Awa, Ngati Rangatahi, Pakeha and, according to family stories, Moriori descent.

Books by Tina Makereti

The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke

From an early age, James Poneke has had to play a role to survive. But what of the real James?

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Where the Rekohu Bone Sings

From the Chatham Islands/ Rekohu to London, from 1835 to the 21st century, this quietly powerful and compelling novel confronts the complexity of being Moriori, Maori and Pakeha.

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Awards & recognition

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Awarded  •  2016  •  Winner of the Pacific region

More features

Article
Short story club – 13 July

Read the story being discussed onJesse Mulligan’s show on Radio New Zealand on 13 July 2017

Article
Short story club – 6 September 2018

Read the story being discussed on Jesse Mulligan’s show on Radio New Zealand on 6 September 2018

Article
What's in a cover?

The symbolism of Black Marks on the White Page's jacket illustration. 

Article
Short story club – 26 July 2018

Read the story being discussed on Jesse Mulligan’s show on Radio New Zealand on 26 July 2018