Ronald Hugh Morrieson of Hawera, Taranaki was a novelist and short story writer in the New Zealand vernacular. He earned his living as a musician and music teacher and played in dance bands throughout south Taranaki. He lived in Hawera all his life and this town appears in his novels. He was a heavy drinker throughout his life and this contributed to his early death. He wrote four novels: The Scarecrow 1963, Came A Hot Friday 1964, Predicament 1975 and Pallet on the Floor 1976, all of which have been adapted for the cinema. Two short stories were published posthumously; Cross My Heart And Cut My Throat and The Chimney, both in 1974. But while Morrieson's first two novels were published in Australia by Angus & Robertson and got good reviews there, they declined to publish his third novel, Predicament. Like his last novel, Pallet on the Floor it was only published posthumously, by Dunmore Press in Palmerston North. They have all been republished by Penguin. 

January 29th, 1922 in Hawera  /  Died:   Dec 26th, 1972