Airana Ngarewa
The Last Living Cannibal

Sunday 21 September, 3pm –4pm
Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery
Presales $15 | Door sales $20

Airana Ngarewa (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Ngāruahine) is a writer and educator from Pātea, Taranaki. His debut novel, The Bone Tree, held the #1 spot on the NZ Fiction bestsellers list for twelve weeks, earning acclaim for its raw portrayal of brotherhood, trauma, and survival in rural Aotearoa. A former cage fighter, Airana turned to literature during intense training periods, discovering a passion for storytelling. His writing has featured in RNZ, NZ Herald, Newsroom, Landfall, and The Spinoff. 

In 2022, Airana won both the short story and poetry categories at the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards. 

Airana will speak about his forthcoming novel The Last Living Cannibal – due out in September 2025 – and the history of 1940s Taranaki that inspired it.