By Courtney Ellingham Prebble -
We are delighted to be announcing our newest charity partner joining The Good Registry whānau!
The Māori Literature Trust | Te Waka Taki Kōrero was established in 2000 with the vision to take literature with a strong Māori voice to the world - E tuhi, mai i te ao Māori ki te ao whānui.
Through the Pikihuia Awards (a short story competition) and Te Papa Tupu (a writers incubator) the Trust attracts, develops and publishes Māori voices, with a good story to tell.
Literature in Aotearoa has traditionally lacked diversity and representation of Māori writers and a Māori world view. The Trust set out to create opportunities for Māori writers to be supported, published and read.
Chair of the Trust, Robyn Bargh wants Māori writers to receive the recognition they deserve while shifting the narrative to ensure Māori stories are being told and published. While small shifts are noticeable, Robyn wants to “see more of our lives reflected in the stories that are being told – imagine what it would look like to have a full library of books by Māori authors?”
Head of Partnerships, Gina Cole tells us that “we cannot achieve the transformation we are looking for on our own - we need more workshops for writers – and especially for writers who want to write in te reo Māori, more research to advocate for Māori writers, a Māori writers festival, more publishers ready and able to publish a Māori story, an iconic event that celebrates Māori writers, a writers hub.” And the list goes on.
The Māori Literature Trust has a vision of where and how their donations will be spent in order to achieve this goal.
Now that they’re part of our charity whānau, you can now help to support new and emerging Māori writers in Aotearoa at The Good Registry by creating your own registry for The Maori Literature Trust, donating straight from our #givesimply page or gifting with Good Gift Cards.
Even a small donation of $10 could aid in research, support and programmes for Māori writers to transform the literary landscape of Aotearoa.
*Photo: The last group of Te Papa Tupu writers - attending a writers festival as part of their development programme. Te Papa Tupu is the Māori Literature Trust's writers' incubator - where new writers are mentored by seasoned writers - helping new writers to polish their manuscripts ready for publication. Courtesy of HUIA (NZ) Limited
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