Te Papa Tupu Workshop Two saw us mentees heading out into the wild world of the Auckland Writers’ Festival. It was a flurry of voices, words, and ideas. Immersed in the menagerie, new questions emerged each day about the characters we’re carving across our pages and our processes as ‘writers.’ It was an incredible opportunity […]
My first book was written around 2004. When I was ten years old, we went on a family trip to visit some cousins in America. It was the first time I’d ever seen snow in real life. To be fair, it wasn’t high-quality, A-grade snow like the stuff I’d seen in the movies. The snow […]
No one cares about your manuscript (An inspirational wero from Te Papa Tupu) An introvert’s worst nightmare is meeting people in person. Which is why I work in IT, so I can daydream about code and stories without interruption. But it was a sigh of relief to be welcomed into the first workshop with the […]
He timotimo noa! Tēnā koutou ngā kaipānui o te wā, Ko Hinematioro ahau. E noho ana ahau ki roto o te awa whāruarua o Te Awakairangi me tōku hoa rangatira. Waimarie tonu au te whiwhi i tōku māmā me ōku karanga tāina ki tōku taha. Ko tōku tama irāmutu tonu tēnei, ko Tamati Nohotima, te […]
Kia ora koutou! Ko J. (Jared) Wiremu Kane tōku ingoa and I’m humbled and honoured that you’ve chosen to share in my Te Papa Tupu journey. Over the next six months, I’ll be working with the singular James George on a manuscript currently called (the title is still up for debate) ‘King’s Crossing: A novel’. […]
Just before I went through the security gates at the airport, I remember turning to my husband. “I can’t do this,” I told him, panic lacing its way through my voice. “Yes you can. Off you go!” he said cheerfully. He’s ever optimistic, positive to a fault at times. The fear and doubt clawed in […]
I decided to start learning guitar recently. Yeah, it’s going okay. My flatmate left his battered, poorly strung guitar in the lounge a few months ago after I said I might be keen to have a go with it. (Not his fault it was poorly […]
Ashlee sets her intentions for 2021 and reflects on her Te Papa Tupu journey and the second workshop held in Auckland last month. Oh, the joys of a new year – that heady feeling of a fresh start, new opportunities, the desire to be better, do better. Resolutions and reflections that may or may […]
Olivia explores the past and what life was like for Māori communities, including her own whānau, to help to develop her story. My book has two timelines, one is the 1960’s – 70’s and the other is 2010. It is the story of a family and how events from the past reverberate through time. To […]
As our rōpū approaches the second Te Papa Tupu workshop and Jade gets closer to her goal of a completed (first draft of a) manuscript, she reflects on reading, research and making space for writing. It feels super meta to be writing about writing, but I’ve been doing so much substantial, immersive writing working on […]
