Māori, Pasifika writers to travel to London for Oceania exhibition

17 October 2018 Books+Publishing

Five New Zealand writers will travel to the UK in November to showcase Māori and Pasifika literature alongside the Oceania art exhibition at the Royal Academy London, reports Booksellers NZ.

Creative New Zealand will invest NZ$33,000 (A$30,420) to cover travel, accommodation and public relations costs for Māori writers Witi Ihimaera, Tina Makereti and Paula Morris, and Pasifika poets David Eggleton and Karlo Mila.

The writers will participate in a program of public events alongside the exhibition, which is the UK’s first major exhibition of New Zealand, Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian art. The events include: a literary salon hosted by writer and journalist Damian Barr, a Commonwealth Writers Conversation focused on the perspective of contemporary South Pacific writers, and a panel discussion on the role of Indigenous writers and literature, where each of the writers will choose an artwork from the exhibition as a starting point for discussion.

‘Part of Creative New Zealand’s role is to support our New Zealand artists to achieve success internationally. We saw the opportunity provided by Oceania and are delighted to have writers of this calibre participating in this initiative,’ said New Zealand Arts Council chair Michael Moynahan. ‘The profile of Oceania, and the resulting interest in this part of world, is an ideal platform to support and promote our talented literary artists.’

Category: Local news