Matthew Cunningham is an historian and author of books for children and adults. He lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and alongside his independent writing projects works as a researcher in the Treaty and Marine and Coastal Area sectors.

His first children’s book, Abigail and the Birth of the Sun (illustrated by Sarah Wilkins, Puffin 2019) won the 2020 Best Picture Book Award. He is also the author Abigail and the Restless Raindrop (Puffin 2020) and Rosie and the Worry Whisperer (IP Kidz, 2021), as well as two non-fiction books for adult audiences, Mobilising the Masses (ANU Press 2022) and Histories of Hate (OUP 2023).