Tumeke Te Kura

I’m working with young writers at Flatbush School this term and today we had an inspiring visit by Raymond Sagapolutele. Raymond is a professional photographer and an amazing role model for our young Pasifika storytellers. “You are orators and your story is important,” Raymond said. “A lot of times us adults don’t listen to children,…

In term 3 I worked with children and families from the wonderful Auckland Tuvalu Community Trust to make a bilingual book celebrating Tuvalu people, history and culture. We launched the book during Tuvalu Language Week. It’s so cool that children of Tuvaluan heritage can see themselves represented in literature. It was also cool to do…

Today ‘Alisi Tatafu and I launched our children’s book Rise of the To’a (the MMT story) online in Tonga. We would have been there if it wasn’t for COVID but there’s still so much to be thankful for, especially learning how beautiful Tongan culture is through this whole process.

  Today I had an amazing experience at Kelston Boys High School in Auckland. I was asked to speak to two classes of year 13 boys about the awesomeness of reading. I started with my pepeha – “Tuhituhia te kite, kia marama rawa ki nga papa …” and I saw one of the boys sit…

This week I launched a new book Fanene Peter Maivia: Son of Samoa. It’s the first in a new series called Reading Legends. These are picture biographies of legendary Kiwi and Pasifika heroes.