TENACIOUS WĀHINE

Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha) was born in Nelson. She is a West Coast author and journalist. Her debut novel Auē, won the 2020 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize, the MitoQ Best First Book Award and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, and almost five years on is regarded as a modern classic, with editions published around the world. The sequel Kataraina will be published in October 2024. 

Talia Marshall (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Takihiku) is a Dunedin-based writer. She has had work published in Poetry magazine, Landfall, Sport, North & South, Mana, Canvas, The Spinoff, Newsroom, Pantograph Punch and with City Gallery. In 2020 she was the inaugural Emerging Māori Writer in Residence at the IIML at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington, and in 2021 she won the Newsroom Surrey Hotel Writers Residency. 

Nuki Tākao is a proud descendant of Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāi Tahu and Ngāi Tūhoe. A cultural exponent, teacher, weaver, researcher, editor, translator and writer, Nuki first started writing in 1994, composing the karakia, Ko Te Whiri to honour Hineteiwaiwa and Te Whare Pora, the house of weaving. Beloved of weavers throughout Aotearoa, it has been published many times. 

From the early 2000’s until now, Nuki has translated, edited, published, authored and co-authored books primarily in te reo Māori and written mainly for Māori medium education settings. Most recently, Huriawa, set in Mohua and stunningly illustrated by Robin Slow, is part mōteatea, part karakia and all haiku. Huriawa was written in the traditional style best expressed by the saying, “He iti te kupu, he nui te kōrero”. Although the words are few, they are filled with meaning.