November 04, 2020
Touch of magic in reo book launch
The new chief executive of a trust which aims to produce 100 books in te reo Māori says a touch of magic may be just what’s needed for success.
Kōtahi Rau Pukapuka launched its first four titles in Auckland last night.
Paraone Gloyne lines up author Sir Timoti Karetu and translators Leon Blake, Hemi Kelly and Dr Karena Kelly with the first Kōtahi Rau Pukapuka. Photo credit: Adam Gifford.
They include a new celebration of Māori dance by Professor Sir Timoti Karetu and translations of Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, the Dr Seuss title Oh, The Places You’ll Go and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Pania Papa says Hare Pota me te Whatu Manapou taps into a global phenomenon – and she sees synergies between the boy wizard’s magic and Maori traditions.
"Some of that magic has been lost to Māori over the years but it certainly was a huge part of Māori culture back in the day when our tupuna were very close and in tune with the environment. If you look through the Williams dictionary you will see a lot of different kind of spells our tupuna used so it is not too far fetched from our reality," she says.
Photo credit: Adam Gifford.
Kōtahi Rau Pukapuka titles are published by Auckland University Press.
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