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It’s NZ Music Month and X Factor grand final time so this week I want to honour a Samoan hero who has achieved international success and broke a ceiling for Pacific hiphop. The artist? Demetrius Savelio, better known as Savage. What I love the most about Savage’s story is how he overcame a tough beginning…

It’s been a long time in the making … but the Samoan Heroes book is just a few weeks away from release. The books are on a ship coming from China, due to arrive late this month, just in time for Samoan Independence celebrations! In anticipation, the next few posts will be some extracts from…

It’s National Library week in America and Topeka Library made this parody of Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” to celebrate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfNfnL64rOQ&feature=youtu.be Big shout out to all our local librarians including Richie (@TupuYouth), Max (Manukau), Atoy (Botany). Thank you for what you do guys. .

Samoan hero Troy Polamalu retired from the NFL this week. I love what he said in an interview in 2010. Reporter: “You play the game so violently, are you a violent person off the field too? Do you like violence?” Troy : “No, I don’t like violence and I don’t like hitting the other players…

Today I had to tell my year 9 tutor class that I won’t be their tutor teacher next term. It was pretty hard because we’ve built up a bond and just started to get to know each other. I’ve enjoyed working with these junior students, trying to share with them things they need to know…

Just found out that my book Off Loading with Sonny Bill Williams made the longlist for the LIANZA Childrens Book Awards. That’s pretty cool! I enjoy speaking about SBW with students, showing them how he loves to read, carries exercise books around so he can take notes at training and believes digital literacy is as…

Last week I wrote about how I believed young people will read books, if they find books that are appealing to them. About how I had a feeling about what kinds of books those are. And how I just started writing them even though publishers told me they doubted there would be interest in the…

It’s been three weeks since I released Jammin with Steven Adams and the feedback I’ve received has been awesome and really encouraging! I’m so thankful to the educators and librarians who took a chance on a self published author for the sake of their students and really happy for the young people I write for. And I’ve been…

Hey everyone just letting you know that the exciting new biography on Kiwi NBA player Steven Adams is now available for purchase! The cost is $25 plus postage. Send me an e mail if you would like to order a copy for yourself or a young person that could do with some inspiration. davidrileynz@gmail.com

Hey everyone the Steven Adams book will be available after Christmas but if you like e books you can get the e book version now here:

To celebrate SBW’s return to the All Blacks I’ve updated the biography I wrote on him for young people and got a new cover designed. What do you think about it?

Jesse is the most successful Samoan NFL player ever. He played for 15 years and won four Superbowl Championships with the San Francisco 49ers. His position was Offensive Lineman. Jesse was born in Toamua, Upolu in 1961. ‘The foundation of my values and beliefs are based on my Samoan culture,’ Jesse says. ‘I’m thankful for…

I’ve just finished the manuscript for my newest book – a biography of Kiwi NBA player Steven Adams. This morning I sent the text to a designer. Can’t wait to see the ideas the designer comes up with! Here’s the cover:  

Savage is the first Polynesian hip hop artist to go platinum [sell over one million units] in America. ‘That definitely makes me a proud Samoan,’ he says. ‘I’ve always dreamed of this and back then it was a long shot. To achieve what I’ve done just says a lot about putting your mind and heart…

Troy Polamalu is a two time Superbowl champion and one of the best NFL players in history. But as a child it seemed he was destined for jail rather than fame. Troy’s oldest brother Kaio, was a good athlete. But he got into a lot of trouble with the police and was in and out…

Too slow. Too small. Too weak. Tim Cahill heard those comments all his life. But it didn’t matter what anyone said. This Samoan –Australian knew what he wanted in life … and no negativity was going to stop him. He’s scored some of the most famous goals in soccer, including two at the 2014 World…

Damon Salesa is a Pacific historian and writer who specialises in Samoan history. He was the first Pasifika person to win an Oxford University Rhodes Scholarship. ‘I never quite made it as a rugby player or basketball player!’ Damon says. ‘It was research and writing that I really loved, even though I didn’t come from…

David Tua was the first person of Pasifika heritage, to compete for one of the most famous prizes in sports: the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World. In his prime, he knocked out four world champions and owned one of the best left hooks in the history of boxing! You could say boxing is in…

How do we remember our past? How do we imagine our future? How do we even know who we are? Associate Professor Donna Rose Addis wants to know the answers to those questions. That’s why she became the world’s first Samoan ‘neuroscientist’ – a person who studies the human brain! You can read more about…

Albert Wendt is a celebrated writer sometimes referred to as ‘The Father of Pacific Literature.’ Albert’s early experiences with stories were in Samoa, at the feet of his grandmother Mele. He won a scholarship to New Plymouth Boys High where his teachers noticed he also had a gift for storytelling. They encouraged him to write….

Lauaki was an orator chief, famous throughout Samoa for his knowledge of history and his political skills. He tried hard to keep Samoan traditions alive when Samoa was under German rule – a time when Samoa experienced great change. Though he died before his dream of Samoan independence could come true, his legacy would be…

Ida Malosi is the first woman of Pasifika heritage to become a Judge in New Zealand. Ida was thinking of studying Law at Otago Uni but was put off when she went into the lecture and saw no brown students. “This subject is for rich people, I’ll never cut it,” she thought. Later, Ida moved…

James Johnson is the second Samoan to play in the NBA. James was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2009. This year he’ll be playing for the Toronto Raptors, his 5th team. Though he has been traded four times, James has never given up and strives to keep his dream alive. Sport is in James’…

Malietoa Vainu’upo was the first paramount chief to welcome the Christian gospel to Samoa. He accepted the message brought by John Williams and eight Rarotongan missionaries. You can read about how the gospel brought peace to Samoa in my upcoming book on Samoan heroes. Would you consider helping me to publish the book by making…

Maui is a true Pasifika Superhero! There are Maui stories throughout the Pacific and Aotearoa and Samoa has a Maui too. His other name is Ti’iti’i. As in Niue and New Zealand, he’s credited with discovering fire after catching his father holding out with cooked food. A father holding out with cooked food … hmmm…

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most famous Samoans in the world . . . but did you know there was a time that he failed in his dream to become an NFL player, slept on a mattress found in a rubbish heap and had only $7 to his name. You can read…

Talofa lava everyone, raising the numbers of Pasifika young people earning NCEA is a big focus in education at the moment. I’m trying to help by writing books that our youth can relate to and be inspired by. My next book is a collection of profiles of Samoan achievers like The Rock, Tana Umaga andAlbert…