Authors

Dr Simon Pollard is a spider biologist and award-winning natural history photographer and writer. He has written and illustrated a number of childrens books in New Zealand and the United States and has twice won the LIANZA Elsie Locke non-fiction book of the year. His last two books, both published by Te Papa Press, are Why Is That Lake So Blue? (2018) and The Genius of Bugs (2017), which was shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Simon has also been an advisor, scriptwriter and presenter on a number of natural history documentaries, including the BBCs Planet Earth. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicator of the Year Award. Since 2009, Simon has been Adjunct Professor of Science Communication at the University of Canterbury. Dr Philip Sirvid is Assistant Curator in the Natural History Team at Te Papa. Phil has a broad general knowledge of New Zealand entomology but specialises in the arachnids, particularly spiders and harvestmen. He has published on the taxonomy, systematics and evolutionary history of New Zealand spiders as well as on medical entomology and arachnid conservation. Phil has been involved in science outreach at Te Papa for many years and contributed to 100 Natural History Treasures of Te Papa, and NatureStilled, both published by Te Papa Press.

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P. POMARE is an award-winning author whose debut novel, Call Me Evie (2018), won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. In the Clearing (2019) was made into a Disney+ Original Series, The Clearing, while Tell Me Lies (2020) was a #1 Audible bestseller and was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. The Last Guests (2021) was critically acclaimed and is currently being made into a TV series by Stan. His fifth book, The Wrong Woman (2022), was a top-ten bestseller and was highly acclaimed, as was his 2023 novel, Home Before Night. 17 Years Later is his seventh novel. J.P. Pomare was born in New Zealand and lives in Melbourne with his wife and daughter.

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Sharlene Poole has over 25 years' of experience of working with babies and young children. For the last 13 years she has worked as a consultant for new parents or parents with children under 5 years, giving them guidance and advice regarding routine, sleep and behaviour. Her talents for calming babies have been showcased on TVNZ's Sunday programme, and she has been a regular contributor to magazines and TV. Now based in Raglan, she is testing her skills on her own young family, while still advising many parents in need.

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Kirianna and Lachlan (Lockie) and their three kids - Riley, Alba and Elise - are best known for their hugely popular Instagram page @theslowroad_ which has 168K followers.Kirianna is a Kiwi and Lockie is Australian; after the pandemic grounded Lockie's career as pilot, they travelled all around Australia in their custom-made kombi.They recently shipped their custom van to New Zealand and spent most of 2023 travelling and documenting their trips around the country.

Ivor Popovich works in Auckland as an intensive care doctor and will fully qualify as a specialist in August 2025. He has worked across different hospitals and specialties since finishing medical school in 2015. He was involved in treating patients during the Covid pandemic and the Whakaari White Island disaster. When not at the hospital he can be found shooting hoops or tickling the ivories on his piano.

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