New Zealand Biographies

'Well if you have a big life, a lot of stuff happens. Dad had a big life.' - Peter Hillary. Edmund Hillary is a towering figure among adventurers. His conquest of Everest and his dedication to the welfare of the Nepalese people is well known. While much has been written about what Sir Edmund Hillary did, Ed, the man behind...

Jenny Hunt grew up in Hawera, Taranaki, in the 1940s and '50s, with four siblings and parents from widely different social milieus. Her mother's family moved in the upper echelons of Auckland society until they lost their fortune in the Great Depression, while her working-class father was a direct descendant of a Chickasaw Native American sentenced to penal time in...

Lessons from New Zealand's top entrepreneur on surviving tough times. Michael Hill believes it's possible to succeed in a downturn— in fact, it is the perfect situation in which to perfect a business. International jewellery store-chain owner Michael Hill believes the struggling economy can be a good thing for businesses and entrepreneurs. Instead of fearing the side-effects of a recession,...

The Black Widow almost got away with murder. But then her sister-in-law became suspicious... The infamous Black Widow case shocked the nation. An average-looking suburban housewife carefully staged her husband's 'suicide'. At first, it looked like she might get away with murder, but then her sister-in-law, Lee-Anne Cartier, became suspicious and started gathering evidence and presenting it to the police....

Women have a long history of keeping the lights burning, from tending ancient altar flames or bonfires to modern-day lighthouse keeping. Yet most of their stories are little-known. Guiding Lights includes true stories from around the world, chronicling the lives of the extraordinary women who mind the world’s storm-battered towers. From Hannah Sutton and her partner Grant, the two caretakers...

What does it take to go from imagining a different life to creating one? Entrepreneur and educator Frances Valintine has spent her life trying to untangle why some people don't embrace change even when they know their future depends on it. Future You shares insights from Frances's own extraordinary career to show how breaking away from expectation and routine is...

Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail is the funny, illuminating diary of a year in the life of a New Zealand farm vet. With a husband and two children, 1200 sheep and 400 cattle, farm dogs and pet lambs, pigs bent on excavation, and a goat bent on escape, country life is never dull. From calving cows to constipated dogs,...

Stars of the hit television series The Casketeers, as seen on Netflix Francis and Kaiora Tipene aren't your typical funeral directors. With their famous humour and big-hearted personalities, the TVNZ and Netflix reality TV stars are changing the way we think about death and grief. Life as a Casketeer reveals how Francis and Kaiora grew up in families that had...

There is a war on truth, and the liars are winning. There is an increasingly large number of weapons in the arsenal of the rich, the powerful, and the elected to prevent the truth from coming out — to bury it, warp it, twist it to suit their purposes. Truthteller reveals how governments and corporations have covered up mass murder,...

Tough Outback, a Kiwi's stories of misadventure, mining, and mayhem. In 1989, Mike Bellamy set off for the remote town of Wiluna, on the edge of the Western Desert. Keen to make a buck from Australia's mining boom, the fledgling Kiwi soon realised he'd walked across a frontier into a roughshod world where anyone trying to last longer than a...

This is Us is a collection of over 200 brief interviews with New Zealanders, spanning the length and breadth of the country; from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island. It was written in response to the Christchurch terrorist attack but is not about it; it is instead a representation of the New Zealand people in their own words. A celebration of...

The real Burt Munro, inventor of the world's fastest Indian motorcycle, in his own words. A fascinating collection of Burt Munro memorabilia including photos from his family album, newspaper clippings, and interviews with Burt himself, this book reveals the real Burt Munro - the man behind the movie. Roger Donaldson has been studying Burt Munro for many years. He made...

Stories of life, death and unforgettable clinical cases A psychiatrist and a patient with supernatural connections. A family man's resilience as he recovers from a life-changing terrorist attack. A rural nurse specialist and his incredible roadside rescue of a woman on the brink of cardiac death. A trauma therapist caught in the aftermath of a violent methamphetamine episode. The Unexpected...

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘the moment when my life changed forever’. Some of us can even pinpoint it in our own lives: the birth of a child, the acceptance letter to a degree programme, or the decision to make a momentous change. The Turning Point is an anthology of personal accounts, showcasing the extraordinary and unexpected moments that have...

Abbey and Money Singh are better known as The Modern Singhs, Kiwi social media celebrities with a rich and tangled love story to tell. Shared through the eyes of this inspiring duo, The Modern Singhs reveals their experiences as migrants to New Zealand as they struggled to find footing in new surroundings. They describe how they met and pursued a...

The highs and heartbreak of caring for the animals we love You never know who or what is going to walk, crawl, or slither through the doors of a veterinary hospital... Clumsy Luna the Greyhound and her fragile front legs; the tortoise in need of a prosthetic leg; Jock the Saint Bernard and his problematic eyelashes; Edward the Burmese cat...

The story of Scott Donaldson's relentless journey to be the first person to cross the Tasman Sea solo in a kayak Unpredictable and unforgiving, the Tasman Sea is one of the most hostile stretches of water in the world. An Australian adventurer attempted to kayak across in 2007, disappearing without a trace. In 2018, Kiwi adventurer Scott Donaldson spent two...

During World War II, Balck commanded panzer troops from the front line and led by example, putting himself in extreme danger when rallying his soldiers to surge forward. He fought battles that were masterpieces of tactical operations, utilizing speed, surprise and a remarkable ability to motivate his men to achieve what they considered to be impossible. We follow his journey...

A truly innovative book for cat and kitten lovers — Oliver’s naughty and precocious perceptions of humans will delight, surprise, and perhaps even shock you. Oliver Kitten's Diary tells the story of Oliver Kitten, who was born in a firetruck and ends up living with a three-generation multicultural human family in a four-bedroom house. He keeps a diary of his...

Laugh-out-loud yarns from a soldier in the New Zealand Army When new recruit Dario Nustrini's head was freshly shaved in preparation for the army, he knew nothing about what training to fight, kill, and die for New Zealand would look like. Since leaving high school the year before, he had been on a steady diet of spliffs, Speights, and the...

An open, honest and at times intensely personal memoir about race, fatherhood, marriage, masculinity, fitting in, and the things that shape our national character. Simon Bridges grew up as the son of a working-class Baptist preacher in Te Atatu, as the youngest of six children. In many ways, he had a typical Kiwi upbringing at a time when having little...

The hilarious tell-all memoir by the first winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Hailing from a sleepy eastern suburb of Auckland, Nick Nash grew up feeling like he stood out for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't until he experimented with the art of drag that he found freedom in his fierce and confident alter-ego, Kita Mean. From wild...

The story of a child refugee who faced her fears, found her home and accidentally made history. When she was just nine, Golriz Ghahraman and her parents were forced to flee their home in Iran. After a terrifying and uncertain journey, they landed in Auckland where they were able to seek asylum and - ultimately - create a new life....

A comprehensive biography of General Sir Alexander Godley, presenting for the first time a fair and balanced look at his time as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) and II ANZAC Corps during World War I. While Godley is generally remembered as being a poor field commander, Terry Kinloch argues that he was, in fact, a capable one...

Few people can appreciate the joy that being owned by a cat brings better than David St John Thomas — the latest in a long line of publishers and authors to pay homage to the very special cats who have entered their busy lives. This is a book for everyone who really cares about cats. Vividly written, sometimes serious, sometimes...

Over the last 50 years, sea kayakers, climbers, and alpine trampers have been attempting audacious journeys across NZ that last many months. Most of these adventurers have written books on their travels. In Epic, these tales have been condensed and retold, ready for a new generation to be inspired by these very Kiwi adventures to, as Salisbury puts it in...

Daughter of the Reich is a story of an ordinary girl from Germany who became caught up in the inner workings of the Nazi war machine. Louise Fox had grown up while the Nazis steadily took full control of the country, and like so many of her age group, Nazism was considered to be just normal. As a teenager, she...

Clare Reilly: Eye of the Calm is an exploration of New Zealand painter Clare Reilly’s life and work. The mixture of autobiographical writing and gorgeous paintings subtly shows how Reilly’s art and experiences are entwined. Her themes cover issues of habitat destruction and renewal, depicting native New Zealand birds in the landscape as metaphors for joy. In an increasingly troubled...

Clare Reilly: Eye of the Calm is an exploration of New Zealand painter Clare Reilly’s life and work. The mixture of autobiographical writing and gorgeous paintings subtly shows how Reilly’s art and experiences are entwined. Her themes cover the issues of habitat destruction and renewal, depicting native New Zealand birds in the landscape as metaphors for joy. In an increasingly...

A journey between two cultures After more than 200 years of co-existence under the umbrella of a unique treaty, you might think things would be better than ever. In this perceptive and piercing book, John Bluck argues that Pākehā and Māori worlds grow ever more separate. The Aotearoa of today is a landscape of two predominant cultures, overlaid with so...

This is the story of a pioneering folk hero. It is a colourful tale of adventure, discovery and survival in the remotest areas of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. William James O’Leary was a man of humble origins. His lifetime (1865-1947) spanned a period of New Zealand history when the country was searching for homegrown heroes in whose lives the young...

A memoir about belonging and motherhood, told through the author's lifelong passion for wild food When Helen Lehndorf moves to the city after a childhood living off the land in rural Taranaki, she can't help but feel different from her peers and professors. She finds solace in long walks foraging weeds and plants along the river, but something inside her...

An entertaining history of rural life in Aotearoa, told through artefacts, gadgets and ephemera that tell a story that goes deeper than the objects themselves. The most fun you'll ever have learning about rural life in New Zealand. Told through a varied selection of items from the everyday (apples, Red Band gumboots, milk tankers and ride-on mowers) to the weird...

A leading journalist's intense, riveting and personal investigation into the worlds and minds of cults At a new age festival in Byron Bay, journalist Anke Richter is finding her spiritual awakening when she meets a woman—a survivor of the Auckland cult Centrepoint—who will change the course of her life and career. Over the next ten years, Anke pursues a labyrinthine...

Star of stand-up, winner of Celebrity Treasure Island, and lockdown Instagram sensation, Chris Parker shares a series of short stories, essays, and musings. Chris has made a name for himself as an outspoken, witty, and charming personality who is consistently exceeding his own and others' expectations. Be it his lockdown felting journey, which saw him creating a felt hat bought...

"This book will change lives. I couldn't put it down." Fleur Brown, Founding Team TEDxSydney. "I laughed, learned a lot and cried my eyes out." Jaquie Brown What will it take to follow your dream? On the outside, Rebekah Campbell has an enviable life. She is the founder of the hot Sydney startup Posse.com, writes a popular blog and gives...

Eccentric and charming, Mutzig the Clown Cat is the first ever book by Peter Wells. In 1981, he made 30 copies of this book by hand to celebrate a stray cat that wandered into his life and took over his heart.

A restless 17-year-old seeking fame, fortune (and romance) goes hitchhiking with three older girls. What begins as a holiday frolic becomes a survival recipe for life. Radiating hope and energy, the narrative follows this naive New Zealander to London with her family. Tragedy strikes when Julia's father dies, and upheaval follows. After a trip to Paris, hitchhiking adventures encompass sleeping...

When American university lecturer Kathy Giuffre decides to take her two young sons and flee to a remote South Pacific island for a year to escape her stressed-out life as a working single mother, she is taking the biggest gamble of her life. She arranges a house in advance, but when she arrives both the house and the person arranging...

Tamati Te Ito Ngamoke, a renowned Taranaki prophet, played a significant role in colonial New Zealand's political landscape. While some, including most settlers and officials, viewed him as an 'imposter', a 'wizard', a 'fanatic'; others, including major Taranaki tribal leaders, revered him as a prophetic tohunga matakite known as 'Te Kai-ngarara' - The Reptile Eater. Today, overshadowed by religious leaders...

Mike Joy is recognised in New Zealand as a leading freshwater ecologist and a fervent advocate for the preservation of waterways. However, the journey that led him to these influential roles is as winding and unique as the rivers he strives to protect. His story is not just about academic success and public profile, but also personal discovery, challenge, and...

Through his fiction, non-fiction and international journalism, Maurice Shadbolt played a leading role in projecting New Zealand to the world throughout the second half of the 20th century. In Volume Two, Philip Temple tells of Shadbolt's epic coverage of the W.B. Sutch spy trial, his journalistic probes into the Arthur Allan Thomas case and the Erebus disaster, and his involvement...

In the wild, there is an element that cannot be seen, tasted, heard, or smelt—it can only be felt, and it is a feeling of enchantment. After his first hunting experience in New Zealand as a young man, Richard Hall has been drawn back again and again, wanting to relive the feeling only this country's wilderness can give him. Dark...

Born in Christchurch in 1901, Len Lye was driven by a lifelong passion for motion and energy, and how to represent them in art. He moved to London, where he exhibited with Frances Hodgkins and Henry Moore, and then to New York, where he became renowned as a film-maker and kinetic sculptor. Today, his work is held in the collections...

The story of how one man weathered years of drought and desperation to turn his farm - and his life - around. Every day I watch my farm burn. Day after day, the sky is a relentless, empty blue. As our land dries up, all my hopes have turned to vapour, lost in that wide, blue yonder. And so begins...

The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd is both a tale of remarkable success and a window into a brilliant creative mind. Finlay Macdonald's beautifully told, visually gorgeous biography of Dame Lynley Dodd and her creation, the rascally dog Hairy Maclary. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy has been read and loved by millions since its 1983 publication. Its protagonist's shaggy...

A page-turning story of a young couple who face a tough decision when they learn their unborn baby has a fatal heart condition. During a routine 12-week scan, Emma Gilkison thinks it looks as though her unborn baby has a marble rolling on his chest. In fact, it is his heart growing outside his body – an extremely rare and...

In this candid and beautifully written memoir, John Saker tells of his lifetime love affair with one of the world's most popular sports, how it changed his life, and the head-spinning moments when this 'minor' sport became the talk of New Zealand. From his early teens, when throwing hoops was a way of dealing with family tragedy, through his scholarship...

This is the first volume of Witi Ihimaera's enthralling memoir, packed with stories from the formative years of this much-loved writer. Witi Ihimaera is a consummate storyteller—one critic calling him one of our 'finest and most memorable'. Some of his best stories, however, are about his own life. This honest, stirring work tells of the family and community into which...

The stunning biography of one of New Zealand's most electrifying and controversial women leaders. When Helen Kelly died on a Wellington spring night in October 2016, with her partner by her side and a bunch of peonies, the first of the season, by her bed, Aotearoa New Zealand lost an extraordinary leader. Kelly was the first female head of the...

The remarkable memoirs of a remarkable writer. With photographs and quotes from her many, hugely loved books, Patricia Grace begins with her grandparents and parents and takes us through her childhood, her education, marriage, and up to the present day in this touching and self-deprecating story of her life, the life of a writer, of a Māori woman, and of...

How farming helped Tangaroa Walker to stand up, stand out and realise his own dreams. The awesomely inspiring true story of how Tangaroa Walker turned his life around through farming - and how what he learned can help anyone succeed. Tangaroa Walker's early years were pretty rough. Adopted twice, he went to six different schools by the time he was...

Previously unpublished interviews with Burt Munro, legendary Kiwi motorcycle rider made famous in the movie The World's Fastest Indian. Colourful tales of a life well-lived. Invercargill, at the far southern end of New Zealand. It's the late 1960s and two blokes sit in a modest shed drinking tea. The old bloke is telling stories about his life; the young bloke,...

Barry Crump - the man, the myth, the father. 'Barry was never a father to me, but he did become a friend.' — Martin Crump Barry Crump was a titan of New Zealand writing, his semi-autobiographical novels about life as a rugged outdoorsman selling millions of copies. In his time, he was held up as the quintessential Kiwi bloke. He...

In 2007, journalist Steve Braunias embarked on a series of 27 interviews, one a week, profiling New Zealanders famous and infamous, both publicity-seekers and those rather keener to hide from the spotlight. All 27 interviews, many of which stirred controversy, hilarity, and even animosity, appear in Roosters I Have Known.

Telling it how he sees it. A fresh, personal account of New Zealand, now, from one of our hardest-hitting writers. Following Once Were Warriors, Alan Duff wrote Maori- The Crisis and the Challenge. His controversial comments shook the country. A quarter of a century later, New Zealand and Maoridom are in a very different place. And so is Alan —...

Intimate, honest, beautifully written—a writer's haunting account of the tragic and unexpected suicide of her daughter. Linda Collins gets up on a Monday morning, dresses for work, makes coffee and goes into her daughter Victoria's bedroom, wondering why she hasn't got up yet. It is an important day for Victoria—the start of the second term of her final year at...

Mrs D is Not on a Diet by Lotta Dann explores her journey with extreme dieting and drastic weight loss, which led to endless praise for her skinny body. But no one knew what she had to do to maintain it. When the weight came back on, Lotta started asking fundamental questions that she'd never considered before. Why do we...

Keith's stepmother, 'Maw', gives him an ultimatum — at fifteen, he must either leave school to work or join the army. Faced with this choice, Keith departs Auckland and reports to the Waiouru military camp, enlisting as a regular force cadet. Home Base is a snapshot of Keith Westwater's boy-soldier life in the New Zealand Army during the 1960s. Transitioning...

An off-grid house on Aotea Great Barrier Island promises to fulfil one man's dreams, until cracks start to appear. Part Man Alone, part love story, Island Notes explores questions of belonging, loss, and impermanence, and whether the life, seas, and forests of a wild island can offer a reconciliation with our past. Award-winning science writer and advocate for the wilderness,...

Auckland chef Simon Gault opened his first restaurant at the age of 22, earning numerous awards and accolades at Bell House, Gault's on Quay, Euro, Giraffe, and more. The former MasterChef New Zealand judge is a successful businessman, with his name associated with stocks, seasonings, cookware, and cocktails, but that's not the full story. From the tomato ketchup venture that...

Tim Saunders writes about his life and work on the farm that's been in his family for five generations. There's drought, farming during lockdown, illness, financial pressure, and the drive to become more environmentally friendly. Woven throughout is Tim's love of, and respect for, the land, animals, and the environment. He describes how farming is intertwined with the weather, how...

At the height of its success in the wealth-saturated 1980s, the Parnell-based restaurant Antoine's—owned and operated by Tony and Beth Astle—was booked out for lunch and dinner six days a week for months in advance. Politicians and dignitaries were regulars, and international celebrities visited whenever they were in town. At Antoine's, nothing but the best was served: from the crayfish...

One Friday evening in October 1984, a security truck pulled into the car park of the Foodtown supermarket in the Auckland suburb of Birkenhead. It had already made a few stops at other supermarkets that day, so there was plenty of cash on board. A few minutes later, as the security guards emerged from the supermarket carrying the day's takings,...

The real-life adventures of a young woman pushing the limits, trusting her instincts and living her life off the beaten path Suffering through searing pain and delirious illness in frigid, makeshift conditions, Chloe Phillips-Harris, at the age of 25 years, summoned every ounce of determination to brave the world's most gruelling horse race - the Mongol Derby. This 1000-kilometre endurance...

Known and loved by her many New Zealand and Australian fans as a down-to-earth broadcaster, radio host and social media sensation, Bree Tomasel is an irrepressible force of nature. But behind the banter and success lies a young woman who has battled anxiety and survived a harrowing attack as a young child. Now, for the first time, Bree writes about...

Honey, Hunz, Honey Bill, Arneta, Aunty, Whaea, Mum, Nan. From 'town bully' to multiple world champion, single mum, and pioneering TV commentator - Honey Hireme-Smiler's astounding life story is built on so many layers. With one of the most impressive resumes in New Zealand sport, Honey is a four-time World Cup winner who wore the silver fern in league, rugby,...

After a childhood filled with neglect, Ruby yearned for another path. Determined not to let her upbringing limit her, she survived abuse, drugs, and tragedy to become one of the most successful women's rugby players in the world. The explosion of women's rugby on the global stage has matched the rise of Ruby's stellar career, as she has grown with...

An updated edition of the groundbreaking and bestselling memoir by mental health advocate and former All Black Sir John Kirwan. I've been to hell and I'm back. If you're in that same place, then I understand what you're going through . . . Hang on to hope. All Blacks Don't Cry is the remarkable story of hope and healing from...

True stories of death and desperation One survivor chooses loneliness. One chooses exile. One chooses oblivion. Some have violent tendencies, ruining lives indiscriminately. Some seal their own fate in slow motion; others do so in the blink of an eye. In The Survivors, award-winning true-crime writer Steve Braunias retells twelve mysteries of human nature—unusual stories of how people choose to...

The Spirit of Cardrona chronicles an extraordinary journey of ambition and resilience as Desiree Reid-Whitaker, a former dairy farmer, and her husband Ash embark on a daring adventure to create a world-class distillery in the heart of New Zealand's high country. Their tale is one of bold dreams and relentless determination, set against the stunning backdrop of Cardrona Valley. The...

Stories of life, death and bravery by a Kiwi female general surgeon Ruthlessly honest and viscerally beautiful. The book I wish I had read as a medical student. — Emma Espiner The world of surgery is strange, messy, and intense. From a man presenting with fishhooks in his stomach to being punched in the face by a patient, it's all...

New Zealand's underworld of organised crime and deadly gangs 'The best true-crime book of the year by a long stretch.'- Steve Braunias, Newsroom 'A series of rip-snorting yarns about gangs, drugs, fancy cars, wads of cash, violence, and guns - Aotearoa New Zealand style.'- Simon Bridges In Gangland, author and award-winning investigative reporter Jared Savage takes readers on a gripping...

Growing up behind the family façade. Brave, explosive, and thought-provoking, this is a powerful memoir from a critically acclaimed writer. 'It's material, make a story out of it,' was the mantra Charlotte Grimshaw grew up with in her famous literary family. But when her life suddenly turned upside-down, she needed to re-examine the reality of that material. The more she...

World War I (and its aftermath) in the words of a young soldier fresh off a remote New Zealand farm, written with immediacy, emotion and clarity. A personal account of WWI from the diaries of a Gisborne farm boy, shaped into a gripping narrative by the diarist's grandson 100 years later. Follow Alick as he moves from his last night...

New Zealand Maid tells the story of Esther James's unprecedented walk the length of New Zealand in 1931-32, wearing only New Zealand-made clothes and eating only New Zealand-produced food to promote local products during the Great Depression. She continued her journey from Melbourne to Brisbane in 1932-33 to publicise New Zealand tourist attractions. Every stage of her progress in New...

A BOOK OF HEALING AND HOPE BY NEW ZEALAND TV JOURNALIST JEHAN CASINADER This is a powerful book that triumphantly celebrates life in all its complex forms. - Mental Health Foundation As an award-winning TV journalist, Jehan Casinader told other people's stories - until he lost control of his own. Severely depressed, he tried everything - from mindfulness to massage;...

Across five decades of filmmaking, broadcasting and cultural advocacy, Tainui Stephens has been finding stories — in people, in place and in the shifting shape of Māori life in Aotearoa. Drawing especially on his much- loved essays for E-Tangata, this collection gathers a lifetime of reflections on the era of Māori reclamation, moving with ease between personal memoryand political insight....

This is the voice of a writer with a keen sense of life’s mundane weirdness, and a poet’s knack for startling imagery. One Year Out is a valuable addition to the personal essay genre. - Airini Beautrais One Year Out traces one terrible, beautiful year through addiction, public rehab, and mental unravelling - then an unexpected move to Bali, where...

Born during the hardships of the 1930s Depression, Neville Wooderson belonged to a generation shaped by resilience, discipline, and action. From working in milking sheds as a boy to racing at the legendary Isle of Man in 1953, he pursued his love of motorcycles with grit and precision. But racing was only part of the story. A respected craftsman plumber...