Sascha Stronach is a Māori author from the Kāi Tahu iwi and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki hapu. She is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and has also spent time in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, which have all inspired parts of the fictional worlds she creates. Her debut The Dawnhounds won the Sir Julius Vogel Award 2020 before being picked up by Simon & Schuster for a 2022 international release. Its sequel The Sunforge is due out in August 2024.