Born in Apia, Western Samoa, Albert Wendt has published a huge range of fiction and poetry, as well as theoretical writing. He is internationally recognised as a leader of developments in New Zealand and Pacific literature. Albert Wendt was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature in 2000. His publications often feature his own drawings, and in 2008 an exhibition of his paintings opened in Auckland. He continues to play a major role in fostering and promoting Pacific literature.