Te Waka Taki Kōrero – Māori Literature Trust is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Keri Hulme Award recognising the contributions of mid-career Māori writers who exemplify the values of perseverance and experimentation through their storytelling.
The finalists for the 2025 Keri Hulme Award are:
- Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) for Kataraina
- Steph Matuku (Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga) for Migration
- Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore) for The Mires
Speaking to the calibre of the finalists this year, Te Waka Taki Kōrero – Māori Literature Trust Board Chair Robyn Bargh commented: ‘It was a privilege to judge the Keri Hulme Award alongside Nic Lowe, we had the opportunity to read most of the books published by Māori authors in the last couple of years. We were really pleased to see the range of genre and quality of the works. The three novels we selected as finalists included some beautiful language and well-paced plots. But what stood out for us was their confidence to experiment with innovative structures and settings.’
All winners will be announced at the Pikihuia Awards ceremony at Te Puia on 19 October as a part of KUPU Māori Writers Festival 2025. Tickets for the 2025 Pikihuia Awards are limited and available for purchase here: https://events.humanitix.com/kupu-maori-writers-festival-2025/tickets
About the Keri Hulme Award: Keri Hulme (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe) was the first New Zealander to win the prestigious Booker Prize in 1985. She was also the first writer to win the Booker Prize with a debut novel. In August 2022, the original manuscript of the bone people was sold at auction and the proceeds of the sale were gifted to the Māori Literature Trust, leading to the establishment of the Keri Hulme Award. Presented biennially as a a part of the Pikihuia Awards, this award recognises a mid-career Māori writer who represents the values Keri Hulme embodied through her work and storytelling. The award includes $5000 and guardianship of the Keri Hulme Award taonga for two years.
About Te Waka Taki Kōrero – Māori Literature Trust: Established in 2000, the trust has been fostering new and emerging Māori writers for more than 20 years, supporting many writers who have gone on to have successful careers as authors who produce award-winning stories. About KUPU Māori Writers Festival: The KUPU Festival aims to celebrate and honour Māori writers, inspire a new generation of Māori writers and encourage everyone to engage with Māori literature. KUPU 2025 will be held in Rotorua 17 – 18 October 2025.
The Pikihuia Awards are made possible through the generous support of our partners and sponsors: Creative New Zealand, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, KUPU Māori Writers Festival, Huia Publishers and the Keri Hulme whānau.
Ahead of the Pikihuia Awards on Sunday 19 October at Te Puia in Rotorua, we are welcoming requests for interviews, extracts, appearances and comment. A media pack is linked in the press release below with more information about this year’s finalists.
