Michael (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an author and filmmaker. Michael’s Hana Westerman crime thriller series including his latest, (Carved In Blood, 2025) is translated into 11 languages, and has been shortlisted or won numerous awards. His debut novel Better The Blood was finalist for the 2022 Jann Medlicott fiction prize and finalist for the Barry Awards (USA). Michael devoted many years to the fight for justice for Teina Pora, a young Māori man wrongly imprisoned for 21 years. Michael wrote his first book about Teina's case, In Dark Places. He made a documentary which unearthed evidence pivotal to Teina’s exoneration and directed and co-wrote and directed an award-winning dramatic feature film about Teina. Michael is the only author to win all three categories of the Ngaio Marsh Awards - non-fiction, fiction and first fiction. Michael was co-curator (with daughter Matariki) of the Auckland Writers’ Festival 2023-2025.