Trina Elkington-Ball: 2026 Māori Writers Residency

Trina descends from Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Whawhaakia and Pākeha whakapapa. She grew up in Kirikiriroa and has lived in Tamaki Mākarau, London and Geneva. She has been a Primary School Teacher, Bookseller, Autism Coach, and in 2025 completed a MA in Creative Writing at the IIML.

Home is now in Whanganui-a-Tara with the three amazing humans she feels lucky to call her children and a grumpy cat. Her antidote to the chaos of the world is to write essays and stories. Secure in being forty-something, she is thrilled to be the Māori Emerging Writer in Residence at the Michael King Centre. Trina’s project explores her experience growing up in a high demand religion, leaving the church as an adult and learning to navigate life as a Divorced / Ex-Mormon / Neurodivergent / Māori Wahine. She has an essay ‘Higher Education’ published in Turbine/Kapohau.