Debbie McCauley (Ngāti Kirimā | Tangata Tiriti) is an award-winning author, historian and indie publisher with a passion for telling the stories from our own backyard. Her work has won the Best Non-Fiction category in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, been chosen as a White Raven by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, and selected by the New Zealand Blind Foundation to be produced in braille, large print and e-text.
Produced bilingually in Te Reo Māori and English, Debbie’s books are published through her own independent imprint, Mauao Publishing. She believes in telling children stories from Aotearoa that will enrich their lives through a sense of place and belonging.
A fifth-generation New Zealander and former children, teens and heritage librarian, Debbie’s books, articles, essays, and poetry combine her passion for writing, researching, local history, the environment and children’s literature. She joined Bookrapt (the Bay of Plenty Children’s Literature Association) in 2007 and has been on the committee since 2015. Bookrapt promotes public awareness of the value of books and reading for young people with a focus on encouraging appreciation of New Zealand children’s literature.
