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Author Shilo Kino won a major award for her first book The Porangi Boy- and now her first novel for adults - released last year - is a finalist in Ockham Book Awards.
All that We Know is about a young woman reclaiming her reo as a disconnected urban Maori.
Shilo Kino is up against some heavyweights of the New Zealand literary scene for the premiere fiction prize - including Laurence Fearnley, Damien Wilkins, Tina Makereti and Becky Manawatu.
Shilo Kino, who is also an accomplished journalist, has herself gone back to kura, to learn te reo - completing a year long immersion course at Te Wananga Takiura in Tamaki Makaurau a couple of years ago.
She says "being able to stand in front of a crowd and speak confidently from my heart in the language of my tipuna means more to me than anything".
She tells Kathryn Ryan how writing the book helped her confront grief and find peace.
Shilo Kino will be appearing at the Auckland Writers Festival 13-18 May.
