Keri Hulme

Keri Hulme (1947–2021) was a New Zealand novelist, poet, and short-story writer of mixed Māori, Orkney Scots, and English heritage, best known for her debut novel *The Bone People* (1983), which won the Booker Prize in 1985, making her the first New Zealander and first debut author to receive the award. Her works often explore themes of isolation, postcolonial identity, multicultural heritage, and Māori, Celtic, and Norse mythology. After working as a tobacco picker and briefly studying law, she gained international recognition while incorporating elements of Māori language and culture into her writing.