Kingi McKinnon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

McKinnon, Kingi (1943-2006) wrote fiction for children and young adults.

McKinnon was born and raised in Auckland. He worked a wide variety of jobs including as a railway worker, a freezing worker, a truck driver, a glasscutter and glazier, as well as spending time in the Armed Services.

McKinnon completed his 6th Form English Certificate in 1986. In 1996 he completed a Diploma of Freelance Journalism and then worked as a freelance journalist as well as an author.

McKinnon’s novels include Whitebait Fritters (1995), The Friday Frights (1995) and When The Kehua Calls (2002). The latter was listed as a 2003 Storylines Notable Junior Fiction Book.

McKinnon’s short stories have appeared in the School Journal, Touchdown (1994), Tangata Tangata (1998), Body in the Driveway (1995), Nga Korero (1994) and Te Ao Marama 4. He was also a regular writer for 'Ears' on National radio.

In his successful writing career McKinnon received various awards for his work including Te Atairangikaahu Award for Fiction (1991), Te Kaunihera Short Story Award (1995). He was short-listed in the Junior Fiction Category at the AIM Children’s Book Award (1995).

In 1995 he was awarded the Creative NZ Todd New Writers Bursary for When The Kehua Calls. A novel that went on to be described as ‘a genuinely spooky book that has fascinating insights into Māori belief and is, simply, a really good story.’

Kingi McKinnon was a participant in the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme.

When the Kehua Calls (2002) was shortlisted for the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2003.

Kingi McKinnon participated in 'On the Bus: Flat Out Brown Contemporary Māori Writers on Tour' Taupo 9 – 13 February 2004. His short story, 'Maiki' appeared The Six Pack, the sampler of New Zealand writing from New Zealand's inaugral Book Month publication (2006). He also published a collection of short stories for young adults entitled Tales from the Swamp (Scholastic).