Michael King was born in New Zealand in 1945. In a career spanning more than three decades he published thirty-four books, hundreds of contributions to other books and journals, television documentaries, features for newspapers and magazines and radio broadcasts. He won a wider range of awards for his work than any other New Zealand writer. In October 2003 he was presented with the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement. His 1986 book Death of the Rainbow Warrior , about the sinking of the Greenpeace flagship by the French Secret Service, sold internationally. His trail-blazing book Moriori was an important impetus behind the renaissance of Te Iwi Moriori. His most recent biography was Wrestling With the Angel , about the life of Janet Frame. It was published to international acclaim in 2000 and in 2001 won the Montana Medal for non-fiction. Michael King was tragically killed in a car accident in March 2004.