Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and author. BETTER THE BLOOD out now in UK, Aust/NZ, and USA
Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
Joined May 2022
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Kia ora e hoa! I'm blessed with amazing teams at my overseas publishers, helping me bring Māori storytelling to the world. Look at these covers they've created alongside my daughter Mahina, a Māori artist, for UK and US hardcovers for book 3 in my Hana Westerman series #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
#Reaper, the second book in the #CityOfShadowSeries by @VandaSymon, is out NOW😱
A killer is is hunting Aukland’s homeless. And Max has to catch him. Because if he fails, he’ll be next.
ORDER TODAY!
Print: 🔗geni.us/oAz7oGg
Ebook: 🔗geni.us/XuHBs
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
We're excited to announce our first confirmed author lineups and locations for our #2026Ngaios #MysteryintheLibrary series.
Join us at Karori Library on Thurs 26 March, or St Heliers Library on Thurs 7 May. Wonderful lineups for fab evenings of criminally good korero! #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Terrific to see a trio of Ngaios winning storytellers - Michael Bennett, Liam McIlvanney & Steve Braunias headlining @rawafestival, among some terrific Kiwi writers, listed here and on full programme.
Check out rawafestival.com and grab tix before they sell out #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Bs and Cs... not a bad place on the bookshelf to be.
At @Wimblestones we spied several terrific #yeahnoir tales and Kiwi authors hanging out near each other on their Fiction A-Z shelves, including several past Ngaios-winning novels and finalists #greatreads
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Congrats to 3x Ngaios winner Michael Bennett!
CARVED IN BLOOD, the brilliant 3rd tale in his brilliant Hana Westerman series, is out in UK paperback today.
Modern-day Crime Queen @ValMcDermid calls the series "cracking, page-turning" journeys into another culture #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
A handful of our Ngaios-winning #yeahnoir legends from over the years. Who is going to join them by scooping a trophy in the #2026Ngaios?
Entries are now open for Best Novel, Best First Novel, and Best Kids/YA categories. Closing 4 Feb
Open to New Zealand citizens or residents
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Two terrific Ngaios-winning #yeahnoir tales spied on same shelf in @Waterstones Wrexham over weekend; the small Welsh city made globally famous due to @VancityReynolds & @RMcElhenney's purchase of historic, then non-league club @Wrexham_AFC and associated hit doco @WrexhamFX
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Lovely to spy FOUR Ngaios winning authors on the shelves at @Wimblestones yesterday, with RWR McDonald's new UK release THE NANCYS AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING NECKLACE joining DV Bishop, @MBennettBooks and Jacqueline Bublitz, among fine international company #yeahnoir
Very cool to spy several terrific #yeahoir authors among the @nzlistener 100 Best Books list for 2025, the most prestigious end-of-year 'best books' list in Aotearoa. Congrats to Jennifer, Michael, Liam, Fiona, Rachel and Chris; in some very fine international company too.
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Congrats to Māori storyteller and history-making Ngaios winner Michael Bennett (Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Whakaue), who found himself onstage again on Friday night as #TheGone S2 scooped four #NZSA2025 Awards, incl Best Drama Series. Michael is Exec Producer & co-screenwriter #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Happy UK pub day to Best First Novel winner RWR McDonald 🎉🍾📚Intrepid investigative trio 'The Nancys' - 11yr old Tippy, her Uncle Pike and his bf Devon - are now unleashed for British readers in a “unique, enthralling mystery, perfectly seasoned with humour and heart” #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Terrific to see that 3x Ngaios winner @MBennettBooks' outstanding third Hana Westerman novel, out in UK paperback on 15 January, has been selected for @Waterstones special October25 pre-order sale.
UK readers, nab some superb #yeahnoir for £7.49 or so:
waterstones.com/book/carved-…
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
History-makers and historical crimes: 2025 Ngaio Marsh Award winners revealed in Dame Ngaios’ hometown: kiwicrime.blogspot.com/2025/…
#yeahnoir @WORDChCh
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Leading journo @kirsty_johnston says winning #2025Ngaios feels like validation in the approach she and @MasseyUni's James Hollings chose in reporting on infamous Crewe Murders case; always reminding each other it wasn’t a 'titillating' saga: thepost.co.nz/culture/360836… #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Huge congrats to history-maker @MBennettBooks (Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Whakaue) who by winning #2025Ngaios Best Novel for superb RETURN TO BLOOD becomes our 1st Best First Novel winner to later win Best Novel for a new book (and joins Paul Cleave as only 3x Ngaios winners!) #yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
"Winners of the [Ngaio Marsh] Awards, which celebrate excellence in crime, thriller, mystery, suspense and true crime writing in Aotearoa New Zealand, were unveiled at Christchurch’s Tūranga library on Thursday evening": thepress.co.nz/culture/36083… #yeahoir @WORDChCh @kirsty_johnston
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
Some more pics from our #2025Ngaios evening. Left: finalists Gavin Strawhan, Stephen Tester and @CharityNorman1 with Best Novel winner @MBennettBooks. Right: modern-day Kiwi Queen of Crime @vandasymon with Best First Novel winner Wendy Parkins. #yeahnoir @WORDChCh
From the @WORDChCh event in Dame Ngaio's hometown, our #2025Ngaios winners:
Best Novel: RETURN TO BLOOD by @MBennettBooks
Best Non-Fiction: THE CREWE MURDERS by @kirsty_johnston & James Hollings
Best First Novel: THE DEFIANCE OF FRANCES DICKINSON by Wendy Parkins
#yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
From the @WORDChCh event in Dame Ngaio's hometown, our #2025Ngaios winners:
Best Novel: RETURN TO BLOOD by @MBennettBooks
Best Non-Fiction: THE CREWE MURDERS by @kirsty_johnston & James Hollings
Best First Novel: THE DEFIANCE OF FRANCES DICKINSON by Wendy Parkins
#yeahnoir
Michael Bennett, novelist & filmmaker retweeted
With imminent announcement of #2025Ngaios winners across all three categories, a final shoutout to our wonderful Best Novel finalists.
Superb array of #yeahnoir voices, of varying styles, settings, and stories, but sharing top quality storytelling and writing. A fab reading list.
