Photo credit: Trinity Thompson-Browne Nicole Titihuia Hawkins (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Pāhauwera) is a writer, teacher, red lipstick enthusiast and proud māmā. She lives in Te Awakairangi and runs side hustles with her besties in her spare time. Her collection, Whai, won the Jessie Mackay Prize for best first book of Poetry […]
Photo by Ebony Lamb Kōtuku (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, W̱SÁNEĆ) currently lives on the Kāpiti Coast but has roots in both Aotearoa and Turtle Island. Her Adam Foundation Prize-winning novel that grew out of the gap between these places is a genre-defying work that bridges islands, generations, cultures, and histories. Sometimes writers talk […]
Lauren Keenan (Te Āti Awa ki Taranaki) is a writer of creative non-fiction, novels, short stories and popular psychology. Lauren was a winner at the 2017 Pikihuia Awards for Māori writers and a finalist in the 2019 awards. She was also a participant in Te Papa Tupu mentoring programme. Her short stories have appeared […]
There have been many wonderful achievements in the Māori literature space this month. Whakamihia ki ngā kaituhi Māori! Congratulations to the following writers for successfully gaining a residency at the Michael King Writer’s Centre in 2023: Jacquie McRae (Tainui) Amber Esau (Ngāpuhi) Hana Pera Aoake (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngaati Hinerangi me Ngaati Raukawa, Tainui/Waikato, […]
Verb took the capital by storm in early November, the streets and social media alike were abuzz with literary goodness. This year we were spoiled for choice with Māori events, curated by Trinity Thompson Browne and Rangimarie Sophie Jolley on behalf of Te Hā o Ngā Pou Kaituhi Māori. Rangimarie gives us her highlights, […]
Ariana Tikao is a writer, poet, singer, composer, taonga puoro practitioner and New Zealand Arts Laureate. She writes waiata exploring themes relating to her Kāi Tahu identity and mana wahine. Her music has featured on television, film, theatre, dance, and in online videos. Her first book ‘Mokorua’, explores her journey to reveal her moko […]
Photo credit: Jane Ussher Tayi Tibble (Te Whānau ā Apanui, Ngāti Porou) is a writer, a 90’s baby and a fashion icon living in Wellington. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters, Te Herenga Waka, where she was the recipient of the Adam Foundation Prize. Her first […]
Alice Te Punga Somerville (Te Āti Awa, Taranaki) is a scholar, acclaimed writer, poet and irredentist. She is a Professor in the Department of English Language & Literatures and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia (Canada). Alice studied at the University of Auckland, earned a PhD at Cornell University, […]
Jessica Hansell (Ngāpuhi, Samoa) is a writer, multimedia artist and musician from Auckland, long known by her rap nickname Coco Solid. She is the creator of cult Maori cartoon Aroha Bridge with a vast range of screenwriting credits. She was named the Fulbright Creative New Zealand Pacific writer in residence in 2018, studying at the […]
The Pikihuia Awards are highly anticipated by writers, encouraging Māori storytelling, now firmly established in the literary calendar of Aotearoa. Held every two years, the Pikihuia Awards have welcomed short story submissions in both te reo Māori and English. Māori Literature comes in diverse forms and we are excited to widen our net of support […]
