Singer/songwriter, lyricist, poet and recently published first-time author,  June Pitman-Hayes was brought up on the shores of Tamaterau along the Whangarei harbour, surrounded by a very large whanau who loved to sing and play music, and the childhood freedom to explore her natural environment of bush and beach. Books were very scarce in her surroundings back then, but those that were available opened up a world of possibilities, excitement, imagination and adventure. June developed a love of poetry at an early age, and began writing lyrics for songs while attending High School. She is very proud of being able to walk in both Maori and European worlds, embracing the values and lessons from both cultures, and to be able to share the gifts of her learnings and experiences, and her love of music, the written word and story-telling with children and people from all over Aotearoa and around the world!

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