Kim Harris
2023 Selection Panel Member
E ai ki te whakataukī
Paiheretia ngā wawata
Paiheretia ngā kōrero
Paiheretia ngā tāngata
Paiheretia ki te rangimarie
According to this proverb:
Bring together the aspirations
Bring together the stories
Bring together the people
Bring all together - in peace.
A mokopuna of the iwi of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Awa, and a former soldier of Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army, K.M Harris is a kai-tuhi Māori whose writing journey began in 2013 in Sydney, Australia. She made connections with Indigenous Australian writers and creatives, and Native American writers from Billings, Montana before returning to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded the Published Writer in English prize at the Pikihuia Awards Māori Writers that included a membership to join the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA). A year later, K.M Harris was humbled to serve in the inaugural NZSA Te Ao Māori Representative role on the NZSA Board, which is now named the Te Māngai Māori ki te Poari Representative currently held by Michelle Rahurahu.
K.M Harris brings the teachings and knowledge of her whānau and tūpuna along with her experience in the public service where her mahi has contributed to improving better outcomes for Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand. Once she has completed her Poutuarongo Ahunga Tikanga at Te Wānanga o Raukawa (Bachelor of Māori Laws and Philosophy) she hopes to complete her Master's degree before committing to writing the taonga stories and whānau histories she longs to do.