January 28, 2022
Huia taps strength of Māori wordsmiths
Huia Publishers is open to receiving manuscripts again after being overwhelmed last year.
Executive director Eboni Waitere says both the volume and range of work coming in is a reflection of how much has changed since the company was set up 30 years ago to publish Māori voices.
She says Māori stories and storytellers have become more accepted across the board.
“Last year for the New Zealand Children and Young Adults Book Awards our authors won at least half of the awards available and also won the supreme award which shows that Māori authors are in the top echelon of New Zealand writers as well,” Ms Waitere says.
Highlights on this year’s list include Melanie Riwai-Couch’s guide for teachers of Māori students, Niho Taniwha, which comes out in March.