Michelle Rahurahu

Rahurahu, Michelle (1994 – ) was raised by tāngata turi (the Deaf community) and is fluent in New Zealand Sign Language. They hold a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, where they won the Modern Letters Fiction Prize for ‘most promising fiction’.

Their debut novel, Poorhara, was shortlisted for the Michael Gifkins Prize and won the Hubert Church Prize for Fiction at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Judges praised the novel saying they “were impressed by the urgency of Michelle Rahurahu's tragi-comic crises and the clarity of her depiction of colonialism, a presence in the book as incessant and rotten as Star’s relentless toothache”.

Their poetry, essays, and short fiction has appeared in various publications, including The Pantograph Punch, Spinoff, Sport, Poto-Short, Ngā Kupu Wero. Notable works include The Rebellious History of New Zealand Sign Language, a long-form essay that explores the history of Deaf in New Zealand drawing on their relationship with their mother. Their poetry has also been selected for the Ōrongohau - Best New Zealand Poems for 2022 with their poem Hinemoana II.

Rahurahu was a co-editor of Te Rito o te Harakeke (2019), an anthology of Māori voices advocating for Ihumātao, a collection of Māori voices in response to the protest. In 2023, Rahurahu alongside essa may ranapiri, launched Kupu Toi Takataapui, a literary journal, both online and offline, committed to the publication of works by queer Maaori. The first edition SPIRAL was dedicated to the late Keri Hulme and published online and in a limited run of hand-bound journals.

Rahurahu's work is characterised by its exploration of the lingering effects of colonisation and familial struggles, navigating Māori heritage and the complexities of being a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), and highlighting the strength found in marginalised communities. Their writing style blends humour and pathos, often employing a tragicomic lens to address serious societal issues.