Barbara Sumner

Barbara Sumner is an accomplished academic, author, and filmmaker with an impressive range of achievements. She has raised four daughters, produced three acclaimed feature documentaries, and written numerous magazine features. At 61, Barbara earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing with Distinction, followed by a PhD at 64. Her work spans historical fiction and in-depth research on human adoption, where she coined the term "adoptology" to describe the study of adoption from the adoptee's perspective. Living in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, with her husband, cinematographer Thomas Burstyn, Barbara divides her time between writing fiction and advocating for adoptee rights. Her publications include the memoir *Tree of Strangers* and the upcoming novel *The Gallows Bird*. She has received numerous awards, including the Michael King Fellowship in 2024, and has spoken at prestigious events like the Auckland Writers Festival.