Michael Bennett Collection

Michael Bennett (Ng-ti Pikiao, Ng-ti Whakaue) is an award-winning screenwriter, director and author. His first book, a non-fiction work telling the true story of New ZealandGs worst miscarriage of justice, In Dark Places, won Best Non-Fiction Book at the 2017 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Michael's second book, Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas,-is a time-travel graphic novel co-authored with Ant Sang. Better the Blood, the first Hana Westerman thriller, was shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction/Ockham New Zealand Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Audio Book of the Year at the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards. It was also longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Debut Dagger and was a finalist for-both Best First Novel and Best Novel at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards. - Michael's short and feature films have won awards internationally-and have screened at numerous festivals, including-Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Locarno, New York, London-and Melbourne. Michael is the 2020 recipient of the Te Aupounamu M-ori Screen Excellence Award, in recognition of members of the M-ori filmmaking community who have made high-level contributions to screen storytelling. - - He lives in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand), with his partner Jane, and children T-hema, M-hina and Matariki.