Authors

No biography

Danyl McLauchlan studied biology and computer science at Victoria University of Wellington, and worked and travelled in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia before he returned to Wellington, where he works at the VUW School of Biology. He is the author of the comic noir novels Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley (VUP, 2013) and Mysterious Mysteries of the Aro Valley (VUP, 2016). His essays on literature, politics, economics, science, and philosophy appear on The Spinoff.

Danyl McLauchlan

Silva Mcleod was born on the small Tongan island of Vava‘u. With the encouragement of Ken, her Australian husband, she trained to become the first Tongan female airline pilot, working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and eventually flying B777 jets around the world.

No biography

Karen McMillan lives in New Zealand and is the author of 17 books, published in nine countries, a mixture of fiction, non-fiction and children's books. She has been a speaker at many festivals and events, including the Going West Festival, the Devonport Arts Festival, the Tauranga Arts Festival, and Brisbane Book Week​.

Distinguished Professor Tā Hirini Moko Mead (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa and Tūhourangi) is a writer, commentator, composer, artist and tribal leader. He is the author of over seventy books, papers and articles. He was foundation professor of Māori Studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and was an inspired founder of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatāne. A scholar of Māori language and culture, Tā Hirini was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006 and received a knighthood in 2009 for his services to Māori and to education.

No biography

Denika lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She is 16 and has an unrelenting passion for fantasy and dystopian writing. Denika has loved writing ever since she could hold a pencil in her hand. She writes at her desk, staring out the window, imagining Elves jumping through the trees and bush-clad hills. She published her debut novel Royal Orchid, The Death-Hunters, in October 2019 when she was 15. The prequel to Royal Orchid, Into the Flames was released on April 3rd, 2020. Her third book, The Ghost Warriors was published in November 2020. Over the past few years, she has won and been a finalist in several youth writing competitions, including being a two-time finalist in the New Zealand Youth Laurate award 2018. Denika was a finalist in the Best New Talent category for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards in 2020. When she is not writing, imagining dragon adventures or immersed in her latest reading escapade, you may find her occasionally contemplating NCEA school assessments. www.denikameadauthor.com

Kita Mean is the queen of camp and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season One. An owner and hostess of three nightclubs, Kita is a boss bitch entrepreneur who has graced stages all around the world. With over a decade of experience tucked away, Kita Mean is guaranteed to leave you grinning!

Norman Meehan is a New Zealand musician. An active composer, Norman has performed original music throughout the country and in Europe. Since 2008 his primary musical focus has been setting poetic text as song. He has collaborated with vocalist Hannah Griffin to set texts by New Zealand poets on Rattle Records releases. He is the author of Time Will Tell: Conversations with Paul Bley (2003); Serious Fun: The Life and Music of Mike Nock (2010); and New Zealand Jazz Life (2016). He and his partner have recently returned to Wellington after several years in New York.