Iona Winter (Waitaha/Kāi Tahu) is a poet, essayist, storyteller and editor. She is the author of four collections of poetry and short fiction, most recently In the shape of his hand lay a river (2024)

In 2023, Iona founded Elixir & Star Press, as a dedicated space for the expresion of grief in Aotearoa New Zealand. The inaugural Elixir & Star Grief Almanac 2023, a liminal gathering, included over 100 multidisciplinary responses to grief.

Widely published and internationally anthologised, Iona creates work that spans genre and form, and lives in the Buller region. 

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