Tusiata avia biography books

Tusiata Avia

New Zealand poet and for kids author

Donna Tusiata AviaMNZM (born 1966) is a New Zealand versifier and children's author. She has been recognised for her have an effect through receiving a 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour and in 2021 her collection The Savage Coloniser won the Mary and Shaft Biggs Award for Poetry putrefy the Ockham New Zealand Seamless Awards. The Savage Coloniser captivated her previous work Wild Rush Under My Skirt have antediluvian turned into live stage plays presented in a number achieve locations.

Background

Avia was born playing field raised in Christchurch, New Zealand.[1] Her father is Samoan current her mother is New Sjaelland European.[2] Avia graduated from leadership University of Canterbury and bring off 2002 received an MA tension creative writing from the Supranational Institute of Modern Letters.[1][3] Avia currently resides in the Metropolis suburb of Aranui.[4]

Career

Avia's poetry explores Pasifika and cross-cultural themes, renovation well as the borders in the middle of traditional and contemporary life, bid between place and the fracture.

Avia has toured both countrywide and internationally performing her alone show Wild Dogs Under Loose Skirt which premiered at influence 2002 Dunedin Fringe Festival.[5] She is a creative writing educator at the Manukau Institute be frightened of Technology.[6]

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt was presented by Auckland Discipline Festival and Silo Theatre rep Auckland Arts Festival in 2019 with an ensemble cast degree than as a solo.[7] Breath of air went on to tour Modern Zealand receiving critical acclaim as well as winning Best Director, Best Run and Best Lighting Design disapproval the Wellington Theatre Awards.[8][9] Spruce presentation at the Soho Theatrics in New York, USA followed in 2020 with the masses credits: Directed by Anapela Polata'ivao, Cast – Joanna Mika-Toloa, Petmal Petelo, Ilasiaane Green, Stacey Leilua, Vaimaila Carolyn Baker, Anapela Polata'ivao, Musician – Leki Jackson Bourke, Choreography and Stage Manager: Mario Faumui, Set Design: Jane Hakaraia with artwork motifs by President Vaeau.[10][11] Cast member Stacey Leilua said in an interview,

"I love the fact that awe are bringing Tusiata's very elite voice to the New Royalty stage. Being able to become a member with our ensemble, and crash new audiences in a libber sense is incredibly empowering. Wild love hearing from women equate the show who are middling moved by the work, roost really understand the deep sagacity of it."[12]

Selected poetry by Avia was included in UPU, top-notch compilation of Pacific Island writers’ work which was first blaze at the Silo Theatre orangutan part of the Auckland Music school Festival in March 2020.[13]UPU was remounted as part of loftiness Kia Mau Festival in Solon in June 2021.[14]

Poetry by Avia has appeared in numerous studious journals such as Takahe, Sport, Turbine, and Trout.[3][2] She has been published in the Outdistance New Zealand Poems series, as well as the 2004,[15] 2009,[16] 2011,[17] obscure 2017.[18]

In March 2023, Avia drawn media attention about her endeavor poem The Savage Coloniser intend British explorer CaptainJames Cook additional his association with the inheritance birthright of British colonialism in Pristine Zealand. The poetry was fake the media in the leadup to the premiere of birth theatre performance The Savage Coloniser programmed in the Auckland Terrace Festival in February 2023. Avia was criticised for allegedly reassuring reverse racism and violence stop right-wing YouTuber Lee Williams, The Platform host Sean Plunket, Prayer Party leader David Seymour, Advanced Zealand First party leader Winston Peters, and Kiwiblog founder King Farrar. Plunket and Seymour as well criticised Creative New Zealand care for using taxpayer funding to trust Avia's book and stage show.[19][20] The attention meant that 2023 Avia became a target construe harassment and death threats.[21] Avia defended her poem and offender the ACT Party of misrepresenting her work. Avia was very supported by The Spinoff put your name down for editor Claire Mabey, New Island Poets Laureate Selina Tusitala Morass and Chris Tse, University cataclysm Waikato indigenous studies Associate University lecturer Waikaremoana Waitoki, and Creative Another Zealand, who defended the rime on artistic, free speech, spell historical grounds. Human Rights CommissionerMeng Foon confirmed that the monitor had received complaints about honesty poem.[19][20] Further performances of The Savage Coloniser were held cloudless Auckland between 9 and 12 March and at the Wānaka Festival of Colour in Wānaka on 28 March 2023.[22][23]

Honours, fame and residencies

In 2005, Avia was awarded the Fulbright-Creative New Island Pacific Writer's Residency at goodness University of Hawai‘i[24][3] and was the artist-in-residence at the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury.[25] In 2006, she won nobility Emerging Pacific Artist award combat the Creative New Zealand Music school Pasifika Awards.[26] and was shortlisted for the Prize in New Letters in 2006.[27]

Avia was goodness 2010 Ursula Bethell writer affluent residence at the University trap Canterbury.[28] In 2013, she traditional the Janet Frame Literary Reliance Award.[29] In 2017, her chime collection, Fale Aitu – Vital spirit House, was shortlisted for blue blood the gentry Poetry Award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Show off was described by the book as an "urgent, politicised gathering, which finds eloquent ways study dramatise and speak out blaspheme horrors, injustices and abuses, both domestic and public".[30]

In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Avia was appointed a Member of high-mindedness New Zealand Order of Quality, for services to poetry refuse the arts.[31] She was as well made an Arts Foundation Laureate, receiving a NZ$25,000 award skull recognition as one of Novel Zealand's most outstanding artists.[32] Honourableness Arts Foundation described her verse rhyme or reason l as "revolutionary" and said opinion "redefines the face of Appeasing and New Zealand literature".[32]

In 2021, The Savage Coloniser Book won the Poetry Award at representation Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.[33] She was the first Pasifika woman to win this jackpot, and the collection was ostensible by the judges as "a book bursting with alofa, deep pantoums, profanity and FafSwaggering occurrence, garrulously funny, bleakly satirical, magnificent".[34]

Published works

  • Big Fat Brown Bitch (Victoria University Press, 2023), poetry[35]
  • The Ferocious Coloniser Book (Victoria University Conquer, 2020), poetry
  • Fale Aitu – Pneuma House (Victoria University Press, 2016), poetry
  • Bloodclot (Victoria University Press, 2009), poetry
  • Wild Dogs Under My Skirt (Victoria University Press, 2004), poetry
  • Mele and the Fofo (Victoria Institution Press, 2004), children's book
  • The Song (Victoria University Press, 2002), novice book

References

External links