Hone Tuwhare was a New Zealand Maori poet, born in 1922 and died in 2008. His first collection ‘No Ordinary Sun’, published in 1964, won acclaim.

His poetry is characterised by its conversational tone, but subtle lyricism and rhythms.

The subjects of Tuwhare’s poetry are often the beauties of nature, but he also evoked political and personal themes.

In 1970 Tuwhare published ‘Come Rain Hail’ and in 1972 ‘Sapwood and Milk’. There followed a range of collections. ‘Shape-Shifter’ (1997) and ‘Piggy-Back Moon’ (2001) won Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Tuwhare was poet laureate of New Zealand in 1999–2000, and in 2003 he received the inaugural Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement.