Writing First for Māori Readers: An Interview With Whiti Hereaka
Whiti Hereaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) is a playwright, novelist, screenwriter and lecturer in Creative Writing at Massey University. She is a trustee of the Māori Literature Trust.
Kakaramea School Cross Country
A rugged wee boy takes a three-point position, his Red Bands digging into the dirt.
Gustav's Pole
There are four of us gathered around Gustav’s pole. It’s still dark and the village square is quiet. No one’s going to stop this act of heroism.
Swimming Lessons
Daisy sits on a wooden bench at the edge of the lane pool. Directly in front of her, a group of mothers and babies are taking a lesson.
Baa-Tuna and the Rampage
Baa-Tuna came to us a sickly, sticky little lamb, soaking wet and knock-kneed after being dragged from the pond the neighbouring farmer found him in.
Out in Gestures
I text Scully to tell him I’ll fuck him in exchange for a Xanny. Haven’t slept in days. It can’t be that bad, really. The sex, not the sleep.
White Ants
The pest controller and I stood contemplating the house; not because it’d changed, because it hadn’t, except in its familiarity.
Out of the Blue
Note: This essay contains mentions of suicide and violence that readers may find distressing. Day 1. “Take the new boy,” said Frenchie. Suicide, sixth-floor window.
