Convenor of judges Feana Tu‘akoi is a Kirikiriroa-based writer who has published over 250 titles (including books, readers, plays, articles, poetry, creative non-fiction and radio stories). Much of her work features Tongan-Pālangi characters from fāmili like her own. Eight of Feana’s ten commercial books for children have been recognised in the junior fiction, non-fiction or picture book categories of various awards, and her work has been translated into several languages. Feana was a judge for the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and in 2024 she was the University of Otago College of Education Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence Fellow.

Don Long has 38 years experience developing and editing children’s books and educational resources in te reo Māori and Pacific languages, alongside his own award-winning writing. He has presented children’s book writing and editing workshops in Aotearoa and across the Pacific, and in the 2020 Queens’s Birthday honours, was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature and Pacific languages. Don has previously been a judge for UNESCO’s Noma Concours Prize for Picture Book Illustrations. He is currently the senior editor (Pacific resources) at Lift Education in Wellington.

Tākaka-based Linda Jane Keegan is a Singaporean-Pākehā writer with a background in environmental and experiential education, and 20 years’ experience working with young people. Most recently, she was lead editor for children’s books website The Sapling for two years, and worked as a library assistant for Tasman District Libraries where she was involved in children’s programming. All three of Linda Jane’s children’s books have been shortlisted for awards.

Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki) is a Tāmaki Makaurau-based author of 39 titles including junior fiction novels and picture books. Her Pony Club Secrets series and her stand-alone pony novels together have international sales in excess of three million copies. Stacy won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2024 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for Nine Girls, a middle-grade novel set in her hometown of Ngāruawāhia in which she explores issues of identity and colonisation. She graduated level 6 Aupikitanga reo Māori from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in 2024.

Mero Rokx (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai) is a teacher by trade and a learner by nature. For almost 20 years Mero has worked across the education sector from early childhood to tertiary level, in both English and Māori medium settings. Most recently she has been a Learning Specialist – Kaupapa Māori at Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. Both her professional work and shared storytimes with her tamariki have highlighted the real value to whānau of books and reading. Having been raised and immersed in tikanga and te reo Māori, Mero will bring great value to both the English-language and bilingual panel, as well as Te Kura Pounamu panel in 2025.

Convenor of Te Kura Pounamu panel for 2025 Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia) works as an artist, illustrator, writer and te reo Māori tutor from his home base in the Motueka area. His comics and books reflect an abiding fascination with pūrākau, mythology and local history. Mat won the Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award and the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for Te Wehenga, and also won the Russell Clark Illustration award for The Adventures of Tupaia in 2020. Mat judged both the English language and Te Kura Pounamu categories in 2024.

Justice-Manawanui Arahanga-Pryor (Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki) is a kaitakawaenga (programming specialist) within the Christchurch City Libraries Māori and Multicultural Library Services team, and delivers specially-themed oral traditional Māori pūrākau for community sessions. She is also a kaiāwhina (teacher aid) for Level 1-4 programmes at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. In these roles, she feels privileged to share her passion for whānau growth through kaupapa Māori, having witnessed the impact this had in her own upbringing in Kawerau, Te Teko and Christchurch.

Maxine Hemi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne) is a kaiako with over 30 years’ experience teaching in kohanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, English-medium schools, and tertiary institutions. Living in Masterton, she was Education Strategy Curriculum Developer for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, and now supports early childhood teacher trainees and staff to develop their cultural competency. Maxine is the proud author of five books for young readers, one of which, Ngārara Huarau, was a Te Kura Pounamu finalist at the 2017 Awards. Through her work and her pukapuka, she strives to inspire and motivate tamariki and rangatahi to know and appreciate the power of words.