Emma Neale (tauiwi, she/her) is the author of six novels, seven collections of poetry, and a collection of short stories.

A former editor of Landfall, Emma has received several literary fellowships, residencies and awards, including the Lauris Edmond Memorial Award for a Distinguished Contribution to New Zealand Poetry 2020.

Her sixth novel, Billy Bird (2016) was short-listed for the Acorn Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award.

Her first collection of short stories, The Pink Jumpsuit (Quentin Wilson Publishing, 2021) was long-listed for the Acorn Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Her novel Fosterling (Penguin Random House, 2011) provided the basis for the Sandy Lane Productions short film Earthlings (2023).

Her seventh poetry collection, Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit (Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2024) won the Peter and Mary Biggs Poetry Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Emma lives in Ōtepoti/Dunedin where she works as a freelance editor for New Zealand and overseas publishers. She and her husband, theoretical physicist Danny Baillie, have two children; one of whom works as a professional musician, and one of whom is still at high school.