Story Hemi-Morehouse

Story Hemi-Morehouse (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) was born in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and moved to Australia when she was young. She was always obsessed with comics and drawing and turned her love of illustrating into a career. Story's first published book, Mokopuna Matatini/The Greatest Haka Festival on Earth by Pania Tahau-Hodges, was shortlisted for four awards in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2022. She has since added several more picture books to her portfolio and in 2023 Kua Whetūrangitia a Koro/How My Koro Became a Star, with author Brianne Te Paa, was a finalist in the Best Picture Book and won Te Kura Pounamu Award. Story lives and works on Yugumbeh Country (Gold Coast, Australia) and, thanks to the flexibilty of freelance work, also gets to spend regular time in Aotearoa.