Tina Makereti

{{Infobox author

| name = Tina Makereti

| image = Tina·Makereti•Frankfurt·2012•Lisa·Gardiner.jpg

| caption = At 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair

| occupation = Writer, novelist, essayist, editor, creative writing teacher

}}

Tina Makereti is a New Zealand novelist, essayist, and short story writer, editor and creative writing teacher. Her work has been widely published and she has been the recipient of writing residencies in New Zealand and overseas. Her book Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa won the inaugural fiction prize at the Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards in 2011, and Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings won the Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Award for Fiction in 2014.

Biography

Makereti was born in Kawakawa and grew up in different parts of the North Island, including Auckland.{{Cite web|url=https://e-tangata.co.nz/arts/tina-makereti-stories-can-save-your-life/|title=Tina Makereti: Stories can save your life|last=Makereti|first=Tina|date=27 May 2017|website=E-Tangata|access-date=23 November 2018}} She studied in Palmerston North and graduated with a BA Social Sciences (1994) and PGDip Maori Studies (2007) from Massey University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.creativegiants.co.nz/view/the-written-word/tina-makereti.php|title=Tina Makereti|website=Creative giants of Palmerston North|access-date=23 November 2018}}

In 2008, she completed an MA in creative writing at Victoria University of Wellington. Her MA work led to the publication of her short story collection, Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa.{{Cite web|url=https://www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters/our-students/phd-graduates/tina-makereti|title=Tina Makereti|website=International Institute of Modern Letters: Victoria University of Wellington|date=13 September 2018 |access-date=23 November 2018}} Her PhD in Creative Writing (2013), also from Victoria University of Wellington, used indigenous literature and perspectives to explore ideas of identity and how this is understood and transmitted following colonisation.

In 2014 she was convenor of the first Māori and Pasifika Writing Workshop (Te Hiringa a Tuhi) at the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University.{{Cite web|url=https://salient.org.nz/2014/05/diversity-the-write-choice/|title=Diversity the Write Choice|last=Trengrove|first=Steph|date=11 May 2014|website=Salient|access-date=23 November 2018}}

She has taught creative writing in The School of English and Media Studies at Massey University,{{Cite web|url=http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=813430|title=Dr Tina Makereti PhD, Lecturer, School of English and Media Studies|website=Massey University Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa|access-date=23 November 2018}} and since February 2020, is Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington's International Institute of Modern Letters and School of English.{{cite web |title=Tina Makereti |url=https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/tina.makereti |website=people.wgtn.ac.nz |publisher=Victoria University |access-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519120822/https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/tina.makereti |archive-date=19 May 2023 |location=Wellington |language=en |url-status=live}}

Her writing has appeared in many literary journals, magazines and anthologies including Sport, The NZ Listener, Metro, Huia Short Stories 8, Hue and Cry, JAAM, Turbine, Overland Aotearoa and Landfall.{{Cite web|url=http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=813430|title=Dr Tina Makereti: Research outputs|website=Massey University Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa|access-date=23 November 2018}} She has presented her work around New Zealand and overseas in Frankfurt, Jamaica, Taipei, Toronto and the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.anzliterature.com/member/tina-makereti/|title=Tina Makereti: ANZL member|website=ANZL Academy of New Zealand Literature: Te Whare Matatuhi o Aotearoa|access-date=23 November 2018}}

While her 2018 novel The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke has been described as based on the life of Hemi Pomara,{{cite web |last1=deCourcy |first1=Elisa |last2=Jolly |first2=Martyn |title=How we uncovered the oldest surviving photograph of a Māori person |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/01-07-2020/how-we-uncovered-the-oldest-surviving-photograph-of-a-maori-person/ |website=The Spinoff |accessdate=1 July 2020 |date=1 July 2020}} the Author's note to the novel is clear that the novel 'in no way represents the real historical figure'.{{Cite book |last=Makereti |first=Tina |title=The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke |publisher=Penguin Books New Zealand |year=2018 |isbn=9780143771562 |location=New Zealand |page=292 |language=en}}

She is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Rangatahi, Pākehā and, according to family stories, Moriori descent. She lives on the Kāpiti Coast.{{Cite web|url=https://authors.org.nz/author/tinamakereti/|title=Tina Makereti|website=NZSA The New Zealand Society of Authors (Pen NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa|access-date=23 November 2018}} Her daughter, Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall, is also a writer, whose debut novel Tauhou was published in 2023.[https://www.cbc.ca/books/tauhou-by-k%C5%8Dtuku-titihuia-nuttall-1.6738589 "Tauhou by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall"]. CBC Books, 6 February 2023.

Awards and prizes

Makereti's first book, Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa, won the inaugural fiction prize at the Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/maori/events/maori_book_awards/2011-awards/2011-awards_home.cfm|title=First Fiction Winner at Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards|date=16 August 2016|website=Massey University: Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa|access-date=23 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-fiction-nga-tuhinga-paki/page-4|title=Māori fiction – ngā tuhinga paki. Pg 4. A new breed of writers|last=Holman|first=Jeffrey Paparoa|date=22 October 2014|website=Te Ara: The encyclopedia of New Zealand}} Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2016{{Cite web|url=http://www.dublinliteraryaward.ie/nominees/where-the-rekohu-bone-sings/|title=The Nominees: Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings, Tina Makereti, 2106 Longlist|website=Dublin Literary Award|access-date=23 November 2018}} and won the 2014 Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Award for Fiction.{{Cite web|url=http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/maori/events/maori_book_awards/2014-awards/2014-awards_home.cfm|title=2014 Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Awards|date=16 August 2016|website=Massey University: Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa|access-date=23 November 2018}}

In 2009, Makereti won the non-fiction category of the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing with her piece Twitch{{Cite web|url=http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/winners-of-the-royal-society-manhire-prize-for-creative-science-writing-announced|title=Winners of the Royal Society Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing announced|date=17 November 2009|website=Creative NZ|access-date=23 November 2018}} and the Pikihuia Award{{Cite web|url=https://mlt.org.nz/the-pikihuia-awards/|title=Pikihuia Awards|website=Maori Literature Trust: Te Waka Taki Korero|access-date=24 January 2019}} for Best Short Story Written in English for Skin and Bones. She was Regional Winner, Pacific, of the 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize with her story, 'Black Milk'.{{Cite web|url=http://www.commonwealthwriters.org/the-commonwealth-short-story-prize-2016/|title=The 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize|website=Commonwealth Writers|access-date=23 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://granta.com/black-milk/|title=Black Milk|last=Makereti|first=Tina|date=4 May 2016|website=Granta: the magazine of new writing|access-date=24 January 2019}}

In 2012, she was Writer in Residence at the Museum der Weltkulturen in Frankfurt.{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/tina-makereti|title=Authors: Tina Makereti|website=Penguin Books NZ|access-date=23 November 2018}} During her tenure there, she opened the Frankfurt walk which featured New Zealand authors and reproduced part of the Wellington Writers Walk.{{Cite web|url=https://mch.govt.nz/news-events/press-releases/new-zealand-launches-writers%E2%80%99-walk-frankfurt|title=New Zealand launches writers' walk in Frankfurt|date=23 July 2015|website=Manatu Taonga: Ministry for Culture & Heritage}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.wellingtonwriterswalk.co.nz/about/|title=About|website=Wellington Writers Walk|access-date=24 January 2019}}

In 2013, she was the New Zealand Film Archive Curator-at-Large, using film material such as home movie footage, news and advertisements to create a series of exhibitions exploring the social history of childhood in Aotearoa New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/connect/media-releases/2013/feb/127318-2013-film-archive-curator-at-large|title=2013 Film Archive Curator-at-Large|date=21 February 2013|website=The Big Idea|access-date=23 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/8760085/Images-of-childhood-from-another-time|title=Images of childhood from another time|last=Speer|first=Sophie|date=6 June 2013|website=Stuff|access-date=23 November 2018}} She was the 2014 Randell Cottage Writer in Residence{{Cite web|url=https://www.randellcottage.co.nz/residency/writers/|title=The Writers: Tina Makereti|website=Randell Cottage Writers Trust|access-date=23 November 2018}} and in the same year she took part in Roadwords, a literary tour of southern South Island towns, with three other writers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/roadwords-a-literary-tour-of-southern-towns-by-four-award-winning-writers|title=Roadwords: A literary tour of southern towns by four award winning writers|date=4 August 2014|website=Creative NZ|access-date=23 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://roadwordsblog.wordpress.com/|title=Roadwords|website=Roadwords: A literary tour of southern NZ towns by Pip Adam, Laurence Fearnley, Tina Makereti & Lawrence Patchett|access-date=23 November 2018}} In 2016, she was awarded the 2016 NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship.{{Cite web|url=https://nzpoetryshelf.com/2016/09/13/congratulations-to-this-fine-writer-tina-makereti-wins-nzsa-peter-dianne-beatson-fellowship/|title=Congratulations to this fine writer: Tina Makereti wins NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship|date=13 September 2016|website=NZ Poetry Shelf|access-date=23 November 2018}}

In 2022, Tina Makereti's Lumpectomy won the Landfall Essay Competition.{{Cite web |last=Makereti |first=Tina |date=2022-11-27 |title=Lumpectomy |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/27-11-2022/lumpectomy-coming-to-terms-with-my-murderous-breasts |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}

Her novel, The Mires, was a finalist for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-05 |title=Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2025 finalists announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2025/03/05/267562/ockham-new-zealand-book-awards-2025-finalists-announced/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |publisher=Books+Publishing}}

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 (RHNZ: Vintage, 2017) (an anthology of Māori and Pasifika fiction, edited with Witi Ihimaera) {{ISBN|9780143770299}}
The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke (RHNZ: Vintage, 2018) {{ISBN|9780143771562}}
Landfall 244: Spring 2022, edited by Lynley Edmeades (Otago University Press, 2022) {{Cite book |last=EDMEADES |first=LYNLEY |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1341394430 |title=LANDFALL SPRING 2022. |date=2023 |publisher=OTAGO UNIVERSITY PRESS |isbn=978-1-990048-48-7 |location=[S.l.] |oclc=1341394430}}
The Mires (Ultimo Press, 2024) ISBN 9781761153693 {{Cite web |title=The Mires |url=https://ultimopress.com.au/products/the-mires |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Ultimo Press |language=en}}