Keri Hulme

About

Keri Hulme (1947–2021) was a New Zealand writer and poet best known for her novel The Bone People (1984), which won the Booker Prize in 1985, making her the first New Zealand author to receive the award. Of Māori, English, and Scottish ancestry, Hulme drew inspiration from her connections to Māori culture, the landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island, and the country’s complex colonial history. Her writing explores identity, isolation, trauma, love, and the search for belonging, often blending Māori storytelling traditions with experimental narrative techniques and elements of myth. The Bone People examines the unconventional relationships between three troubled individuals, addressing family, violence, healing, and cultural identity. Hulme was also a poet and short-story writer whose work reflected her deep attachment to the natural world and her commitment to Māori cultural heritage.