Commonwealth Short Story Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2016) Winner
Tina Makereti
ティナ・マケレティ
Tina Makereti
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Kawakawa, New Zealand
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Kawakawa, Northland, New Zealand → Auckland, New Zealand → Kāpiti Coast, New Zealand
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist, Essayist, Editor, Creative writing teacher
- Active Years
- 2010-
- Affiliations
- Massey University, School of English and Media Studies (has taught), Victoria University of Wellington, International Institute of Modern Letters (Senior Lecturer)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massey University | — | Social Sciences | BA | — | New Zealand |
| Massey University | — | Māori Studies | PGDip | — | New Zealand |
| Victoria University of Wellington | — | Creative Writing | MA | — | New Zealand |
| Victoria University of Wellington | — | Creative Writing | PhD | — | New Zealand |
Massey University
Social Sciences
Degree:
BA
Year of Graduation:
1994
Country:
New Zealand
Massey University
Māori Studies
Degree:
PGDip
Year of Graduation:
2007
Country:
New Zealand
Postgraduate diploma in Māori Studies
Victoria University of Wellington
Creative Writing
Degree:
MA
Year of Graduation:
2008
Country:
New Zealand
MA in Creative Writing
Victoria University of Wellington
Creative Writing
Degree:
PhD
Year of Graduation:
2013
Country:
New Zealand
PhD in Creative Writing (research engaging indigenous literature and concepts of identity)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards (First Fiction Prize) | Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa | Fiction | Ngā Kupu Ora (Māori Book Awards) | Winner |
| 2014 | Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Award for Fiction | Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings | Fiction | Ngā Kupu Ora (Māori Book Awards) | Winner |
| 2016 | Dublin Literary Award (Longlist) | Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings | — | Dublin Literary Award | Longlisted |
| 2009 | Royal Society Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing | Twitch | Non-fiction | Royal Society of New Zealand | Winner |
| — | Pikihuia Award (Best Short Story Written in English) | S_kin and Bones | Short story | Maori Literature Trust (Pikihuia Awards) | Winner |
| 2016 | Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Regional Winner, Pacific) | Black Milk | Short story | Commonwealth Writers | Regional Winner (Pacific) |
| 2012 | Writer in Residence at Museum der Weltkulturen | — | Residency | Museum der World Cultures (Frankfurt) | Residency |
| 2014 | Randell Cottage Writer in Residence | — | Residency | Randell Cottage Writers Trust | Residency |
| 2016 | NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship | — | Fellowship | The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) | Recipient |
| 2022 | Landfall Essay Competition | Lumpectomy | Essay | Landfall / Otago University Press | Winner |
| 2025 | Ockham New Zealand Book Awards (Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Finalist) | The Mires | Fiction | Ockham New Zealand Book Awards | Finalist |
Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards (First Fiction Prize)
2011
Work:
Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Ngā Kupu Ora (Māori Book Awards)
Result:
Winner
Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Award for Fiction
2014
Work:
Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Ngā Kupu Ora (Māori Book Awards)
Result:
Winner
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist)
2016
Work:
Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings
Organization:
Dublin Literary Award
Result:
Longlisted
Royal Society Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing
2009
Work:
Twitch
Category:
Non-fiction
Organization:
Royal Society of New Zealand
Result:
Winner
Pikihuia Award (Best Short Story Written in English)
Work:
S_kin and Bones
Category:
Short story
Organization:
Maori Literature Trust (Pikihuia Awards)
Result:
Winner
Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Regional Winner, Pacific)
2016
Work:
Black Milk
Category:
Short story
Organization:
Commonwealth Writers
Result:
Regional Winner (Pacific)
Writer in Residence at Museum der Weltkulturen
2012
Category:
Residency
Organization:
Museum der World Cultures (Frankfurt)
Result:
Residency
Randell Cottage Writer in Residence
2014
Category:
Residency
Organization:
Randell Cottage Writers Trust
Result:
Residency
NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship
2016
Category:
Fellowship
Organization:
The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA)
Result:
Recipient
Landfall Essay Competition
2022
Work:
Lumpectomy
Category:
Essay
Organization:
Landfall / Otago University Press
Result:
Winner
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards (Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Finalist)
2025
Work:
The Mires
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
Result:
Finalist
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa
2010 Short story collection (Fiction)A collection of short stories engaging Māori and New Zealand landscapes and identities; based on work from the author's MA.
IdentityEffects of colonisationMemory
Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings
2014 Novel (Fiction)A novel that weaves past and present to explore indigenous history, personal roots and memory.
Indigenous historyFamilyMemory
Black Marks on the White Page (editor, with Witi Ihimaera)
2017 Anthology (editor)An anthology of Māori and Pasifika fiction, edited with Witi Ihimaera.
Indigenous writingDiverse voices
The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke
2018 Novel (Historical fiction)A novel inspired by a young Māori man from the 19th century; blends historical elements with fictional invention.
History and fictionIdentityColonisation
The Mires
2024 Novel (Fiction)A novel focusing on relationships and the memory of place; shortlisted as a finalist for the 2025 Ockham prize.
Memory of placeRelationships
Landfall 244 (editor)
2022 Journal (editor)Edited an issue (Landfall 244) for Otago University Press.
EssayContemporary literature
Bibliography
- Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa (Huia Publishers, 2010) ISBN 9781869694166
- Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings (Random House, 2014) ISBN 9781775535188
- Black Marks on the White Page (editor, RHNZ: Vintage, 2017) ISBN 9780143770299
- The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke (RHVNZ: Vintage, 2018) ISBN 9780143771562
- Landfall 244 (edited by Lynley Edmeades; Otago University Press, 2022)
- The Mires (Ultimo Press, 2024) ISBN 9781761153693
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Incorporation of indigenous perspectivesLyrical and poetic proseInterweaving of history and contemporary narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Identity and rootsMemory of land and seaFamily history and intergenerational links
Legacy
Recognised as a contemporary New Zealand writer who integrates Māori and indigenous perspectives into literature. Noted for award-winning short stories, novels and essays, as well as teaching and international residencies.
Academic Societies
- The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA)
- ANZL (Academy of New Zealand Literature) related
Quotes
-
"Stories can save your life"
Source: E-Tangata (interview) (2017)
Trivia
- Born in Kawakawa and grew up in various parts of New Zealand's North Island.
- Of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Rangatahi and Pākehā descent; family stories also indicate Moriori ancestry.
- Was Writer in Residence at the Museum der Weltkulturen in Frankfurt (2012) and helped open a NZ writers' walk there.
- Her daughter, Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall, is also a writer; her debut novel Tauhou was published in 2023.