Peter Simpson is a former associate professor of English at the University of Auckland. He is the author of numerous critically acclaimed books, including Colin McCahon: The Titirangi Years, 1953-1959 (Auckland University Press, 2007) and Bloomsbury South: The Arts in Christchurch 1933-1953 (Auckland University Press, 2016). He has also curated three significant exhibitions of McCahon's work. He received the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement (non-fiction) in 2017.