Collection: Michelle Rahurahu

Author photo: Ebony Lamb

Michelle Rahurahu (Ngaati Rahurahu, Ngaati Tahu-Ngaati Whaoa) is a writer who was raised by taangata turi. They were a co-editor of Te Rito o te Harakeke, an anthology of Maaori voices for Ihumaatao. They have a Masters in Creative Writing from the IIML, where they won the Modern Letters Fiction Prize. Michelle was shortlisted for the Michael Gifkins Prize for Poorhara, their first novel, published in 2024 by Te Herenga Waka University Press. In 2025 Poorhara won the Hubert Church Prize for Best First Book at the Ockham NZ Book Awards.