Michael King
Writer, historian, biographer
1945—2004
I baited my line, watched it sink, and waited with
exquisite anticipation for the pecking of mullet,
the sucking of trevally, or - best of all - the sudden
pull of kahawai or kingfish.
From Being Pakeha Now, Penguin Books, 1999
Where to find it
On top of the wooden benches at western end of the two bridges over Whairepo Lagoon entrance.
- Wheelchair accessible
About the author
Michael King worked as a journalist in the Waikato where he was assigned to cover Māori issues. This led to a lifelong involvement with the Māori world; firstly in a collaboration on the groundbreaking television series Tangata Whenua (1972), then through a series of biographical and historical works.
King was a prolific writer, turning his hand to a wide range of literary and magazine journalism. His crowning achievement was The Penguin History of New Zealand – a runaway bestseller.
With thanks to Penguin Group (NZ)
