Huia Publishing - sharing our stories with the world...

Over the last couple of days I spent time at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Hamilton in a workshop with other Researchers/lecturers from the Wananga with Huia Publishers. The above youtube clip is an encouraging history of the first 21 years of establishing the Publishing house and the influence/impact it has had on the New Zealand literary landscape.

Robin Bargh was the director who first started the business back in 1991, in seeing the need for Maori literature to be available for New Zealanders in schools, homes, bookshops etc. It was her vision that has seen many Maori and also Pasifika peoples publish their stories in various forms and has added colour to New Zealand literature.

I remember as a high schooler reading Witi Ihimaera's early books and being able to relate to the stories, even though they were about Maori, it resonated with me more so than a lot of the English literature that I read in schools. Patricia Grace, was another Maori writer who also inspired me as young adult and particularly "Potiki" in what I see now happening to the landscape in Ihumatao with "dollarman".

I came out of the workshop even more inspired to write more stories and to consider where too next in my writing journey. In fact, many participants came out of the workshop buzzing with writing ideas and new considerations about about why, who and how we write to inspire and encourage other generations to share stories, to continue in their journeys as Maori as Pasifika peoples.

So encouraging and with so much more to come. Thank you Huia Publishers...