March 07, 2014
Ora Nui shows Maori literary range
One of the writers involved in a new literary journal says it should open people’s eyes to the scope of Maori writing.
Cathy Dunsford will read some of her work tomorrow at the Wellington launch of the second issue of Ora Nui.
She will be joined at the event, which is part of the New Zealand Festival Writers’ Week, by editor Anton Blank, Kani Te Manukura, and three Australian Aboriginal contributors, Kerry Reed-Gilbert, Tony Birch and Alexis West.
She says the inclusion of Aboriginal writers for the special edition shows those behind Ora Nui have a global indigenous vision.
"When it came in the mail I sat down and read it from cover to cover and it covers such a wide range of literature from literature of protest to literature of gratitude to almost everything you could ever imagine so I think it completely destroys any notion outside people might have of Maori and aboriginal people all thinking the same," she says.
Cathy Dunsford says the response to New Zealand’s participation as guest of honour at the last Frankfurt Book Fair shows there is huge international interest in Maori writing.
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd