mini传媒

Dr Elisabeth Calder CBE

BA 1959, LittD聽2019聽

Liz Calder is an editor and publisher who, during her distinguished career, has discovered some of the greatest writers of our time. Her gift for identifying outstanding writers began early in her career, when she published Salman Rushdie鈥檚 first novel. Liz has published several Booker Prize winners and is a recipient of Editor of the Year at the British Book Awards and in 2018 was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She is a founding director of literary giant Bloomsbury Publishing, and despite her busy career, co-founded聽Women in Publishing聽and served as Chair of the Royal Court Theatre in London.聽

Photo credit: Louis Baum

Sir Sam Neill KNZM OBE

BA 1972, LittD 2002

Internationally recognised for his contribution to film and television, Sir Sam Neill鈥檚 long and distinguished career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters alike.聽 Working with the National Film Unit in Wellington following University, he landed the lead role in the feature film Sleeping Dogs, New Zealand鈥檚 first film to be released in the United States. Launching his acting career onto the world stage, he has starred in many well-known movies and television series, such as聽The Hunt聽For聽Red October,听The Piano, the聽Jurassic Park聽franchise, and聽贬耻苍迟听贵辞谤听罢丑别听奥颈濒诲别谤辫别辞辫濒别. In 2022, Sir Neill was awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Fred Chong

BE (Hons)聽1998, MEM聽1999聽

With more than 20 years in the media entertainment business, Fred Chong is a rare breed of tech entrepreneur in today鈥檚 creator economy ecosystem.聽 Besides founding influential Asian digital company聽WebTVAsia, he is also an internationally recognised award-winning filmmaker, keynote speaker, and music producer.聽Fred holds a masters聽Degree in Engineering Management from UC聽and also聽studied film production at the New York Film Academy. He advocates the importance of innovation and commercialisation of intellectual properties as his key success factor. 鈥淚 believe my years at mini传媒 helped shape many of the professional and personal traits I have until this day,鈥澛�

Miriama Kamo

Ng膩i聽Tahu/Ng膩ti Mutunga
BA 1995

Miriama Kamo聽has been telling stories her whole life. From writing in her father's blank diaries as a child to a successful career as an award-winning broadcast journalist, Miriama believes telling people鈥檚 stories is a privilege and responsibility. Miriama presents and reports for聽Sunday, TVNZ鈥檚 flagship current affairs programme, and for聽Marae, NZ鈥檚 leading bilingual current affairs show. Miriama is a mother, an author, a trustee, a mentor for M膩ori journalists, a zero-waste advocate, and the patron 'Te聽Koruru' of the New Zealander of the Year Awards. And she's a proud graduate UC.

Dr Margaret Mahy ONZ

BA 1958, LittD 1993

Margaret Mady is an iconic and celebrated children鈥檚 author of more than 120 titles,听many of which have won awards and been translated into a host of languages around the world. After graduating from mini传媒 University College, Margaret worked as a librarian for over 10 years with her first story聽A Lion in the Meadow聽published in 1969 while working at the mini传媒 Public Library. While her books have strong supernatural elements, Margaret鈥檚 stories are聽known for聽their聽themes of human relationships and growing up. In 1993, Margaret was appointed to the Order of聽NZ聽(ONZ)聽for her lasting contribution to children鈥檚 literature.

Daniel Faitaua

叠础听1999

Studying at UC opened TV reporter Daniel聽Faitaua鈥檚聽mind to the world around him, sparking his dream of living and working overseas. Following 15 years as a journalist,听Faitaua聽landed his 鈥榙ream job鈥� as TVNZ鈥檚 Europe correspondent. 鈥淚 get paid to learn about how the world works, meet fascinating people, and explain stuff that matters and sometimes change lives.鈥� Following several unprecedented events in his three-year stint abroad (covering the Queen鈥檚 funeral, war in Ukraine, jubilees, Prince Philip鈥檚 funeral, elections, Brexit, all amidst lockdowns),听Faitaua聽was also elected President of London鈥檚 Foreign Press Association, the first kiwi ever to lead the organization in its 134-year history.聽He now returns home to take up the mantle as a presenter on 1News.聽

Daniela Maoate-Cox

BA聽2011, BA (Hons) 2013, GradDipJ 2018

A former Senior聽Journalist for Radio New Zealand鈥檚聽The House, Daniela聽Maoate-Cox聽kickstarted her parliamentary career covering legislation, issues, and insights from Parliament after several years in RNZ newsrooms.聽Of Cook Island and English descent, Daniela focused much of her journalistic work on Pacific issues.聽Now聽working as the聽Kaiarahi聽Tuku聽K艒rero / Communications Lead, Daniela is leading the聽New Zealand Parliamentary聽Communications team to support internal and external comms for Parliamentary Service and The Office of the聽Clerk,听and聽was part of the聽Pitomata聽team who drafted聽He Ao聽Takitaki, the聽ao聽M膩ori strategy for聽these聽parliamentary聽agencies.聽

Photo credit: Emma McAuliffe

Paul Ewen

BA 1995聽

Born in Blenheim but spending his formative years in mini传媒, Paul was part of the RDU student radio team and studied the arts at UC, kick-starting his creative career. In 2014, he wrote his debut novel聽Francis Plug: How聽To聽Be聽A聽Public Author, which was received to huge acclaim. He was Writer in Residence at the University of聽Greenwich, and聽is a working member of Writers Rebel UK. Recently he was commissioned by Warp Records and the band Squid to write a story for their 2023 album, and he is currently working with Brian Eno to push the climate emergency message within the arts.聽

Photo credit: Nik Strangelove

Margaret Lovell-Smith

BA 1972, MA (Hons) 1973, DipJ 1974聽聽

Margaret Lovell-Smith鈥檚 childhood love of books developed into an interest in writing and an MA in English at UC. Working as a journalist persuaded聽her聽she was more interested in investigative writing and a curiosity about local history led to research and writing contracts. Several of her publications have focused on women鈥檚 experiences and achievements including her 1992 edited anthology聽The Woman Question: Writings by the Women who Won the Vote.聽Margaret鈥檚 work has helped illuminate and detail passages of history that may otherwise go unrecorded. Her most recent research focuses on those who worked for peace and resisted militarism before and during World War I.聽

Dr Owen Marshall CNZM

BA 1963, Christchurch Teacher鈥檚 College 1964, MA (Hons) 1964, LittD聽2002

After 25 years as a secondary school teacher, Dr Marshall resigned to concentrate on his writing. Considered one of New Zealand's leading fiction writers, he has written, or edited, 35 books - bringing his `visual' style of writing to his fiction, highlighting mood and character. His novel聽Harlequin Rex, published in 1999, won the 2000 Montana New Zealand Book Awards Deutz Medal for Fiction. He became an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2000 and a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2012 for his services to literature. He was awarded the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in 2013.