Ngā Kaituhi Māori

 

Nau mai, haere mai ki te kāhui o ngā kaituhi Māori. 

Welcome to Ngā Kaituhi Māori, the new organisation for Māori writers. Formally established in 2024, the chair is Witi Ihimaera. Perena Quinlivan is Te Māngai Māori ki te Poari Representative and komiti member.

Patrons are past NZSA President of Honour Witi Ihimaera and Dr Haare Williams writer and rangatira o te reo. 

Ngā Kaituhi Māori is an exciting evolving space designed to bring together, support, and uplift the voices of kaituhi from across the motu and beyond. It hopes to develop an inclusive and collaborative, rather than competitive, kaupapa with Māori-led organisations publishers, libraries and festivals having significant Māori components, the Māori Literature Trust, Te Hā o Nga Pou Kaituhi, Kotahi Rau Pukapuka and so on. As well, it expects to widen involvement of Māori literary practitioners previously not catered for in te reo including te reo translators, academia, film, television and other electronic media. This will be their atamira. 

 

Te Kāhui o Ngā Kaituhi Māori AGM 2026

2026 NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki
& Kaituhi Mentor Programmes
for Kaituhi Māori

Open For Applications February 20th – April 10th.

 

Ko tā ngā hōtaka o te NZSA e kīia nei ko ngā hōtaka Kaituhi, Kupu Kaitiaki hoki, he tautoko i te whakarahi i ngā reo Māori, i ngā kōrero Māori kia kitea ai, hei te mutunga iho, kia nui ake te tā me te whakaatu i aua mahi. Kua whakatauiratia aua hōtaka ki ngā hōtaka kaiakopono me te aromatawai kua 30 tau e haere ana, he mea whai pānga, angitu hoki hei tautoko i ngā kaituhi. Whakarato ngātahi ai te NZSA me Ngā Kaituhi Māori i aua hōtaka motuhake mā ngā kaituhi Māori.

These two programmes aim to support the amplification of Māori voices, Māori stories, and ultimately see greater publication and performance of these works.  They are modelled on NZSA’s 30-year successful and impactful mentorship and assessment support programmes for writers. NZSA offers two dedicated programmes for Māori writers through Ngā Kaituhi Māori.

Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme:

Designed for emerging writers who whakapapa Māori to have the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state. We welcome applications from kaituhi who write in te reo Māori and/or te reo Pākehā, in the genres of fiction including short fiction, on any topic(s). We welcome kaituhi of all ages – from rangatahi to kaumātua.

Over a period of up to six months, this mentorship provides opportunities to discuss ideas and issues – practical and editorial – and benefit from the experience, mōhio and mana of experienced kaituhi Māori to help aspiring kaituhi Māori develop further skills to sustain and strengthen their future career. Modelled on a tuakana-teina relationship, this kaupapa aims to offer a safe and supportive space for emerging kaituhi to develop their craft; gain encouragement and accountability, along with substantive feedback. As well as mentorship, part of this programme is to provide constructive suggestions for the refinement of a work in progress.

There are four (4) mentorships for kaituhi Māori available in 2026.

Kupu Kaitiaki:

This kaupapa is an assessment programme and aims to provide new and emerging kaituhi with valuable feedback from a skilled Kupu Kaitiaki, for the refinement of a part of a manuscript written in te reo Māori or in English. The proposed work can be in the genres of poetry, fiction (excluding plays), short fiction or non-fiction (excluding screenplays and picture books), on any topic(s), of up to 30,000 words. The two selected successful manuscripts will be read by an experienced te reo Māori pūkenga and literary advisor – a Kupu Kaitiaki – who will compile feedback in a brief report. It offers kaituhi an opportunity to further develop style and direction, and receive support for a project in the early stages of development.

The desired outcome is to champion Māori writers and Māori writing and in particular, works by kaituhi Māori in te reo Māori. To apply, kaituhi can send in a piece a 1-2 page synopsis along with a sample (max 5,000 words) of the manuscript they are seeking feedback on. There are two opportunities available in 2026. Assessments of the recipients’ works will begin shortly after selection, and will be completed on/by 30 June 2026.

Applications for these programmes are open from 23 February – 10 April 2026.

Applicants will be notified within 4-6 weeks of the result.

How to Apply

Read all the details for the Kaituhi Mentor programme
Complete the application form

Read all the details for the Kupu Kaitaki programme
Complete the application form

More about NZSA and Kaituhi Māori

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ARCHIVE:

2025 NKM Pānui:

Ngā Kaituhi Māori Pānui 1# 2025

Ngā Kaituhi Māori Pānui #2 HUI

Ngā Kaituhi Māori Panui #3 2025

Ngā Kaituhi Māori Pānui #4 – 2025 

Ngā Kaituhi Māori Pānui #5, 2025

 

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Te Kaituhi Māori mentorship and assessment programmes open for applications each February:

 

NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki Programme for Kaituhi Māori   

The aim of this kaupapa is to provide new and emerging kaituhi with valuable feedback from a skilled Kupu Kaitiaki, for the refinement of a part of a manuscript written in te reo Māori. This programme launched in 2024.

NZSA Kaituhi Māori Mentorship Programme

The  Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme launched in 2024 to give emerging writers who whakapapa Māori the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed Māori writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state.

CONTACT: tekaituhi@nzauthors.org.nz

 

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TE KĀHUI O NGĀ KAITUHI MĀORI

Events 2025

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GISBORNE MĀORI WRITERS HUI,  9 – 12 OCTOBER, 2025

 

 

Tui Tui Tuhia Tairāwhiti – Poho o Rawere marae

Kaituhi Māori’s third hui following Orongomai and Motueka was scheduled for Gisborne October 9-12. Witi Ihimaera was the convenor of this full three-day hui which will be held coincident with the Tairāwhiti Arts Festival.  “Having regional hui in both islands is going to be one of the signature activities of Kaituhi Māori going forward,” says Ihimaera. “We think this is the best way for us to grow the pūtea of our writers of the future. Following Gisborne, we plan to have our hui in Nelson the following year, 2026.”

New writing is available from Ngā Kaituhi Māori October 2025 Hui:

A mixture of stories, poems, many written during the hui. The beautiful art was crafted by Te Waiotu Fairlie and graphic designer, Daniel Hapi: cover. There are 33 Writers in this anthology and over 50 pieces, including work from Witi Ihimaera, Paula Morris, and Haare Williams. Rangatahi were centre stage and some of them make their publishing debut in AHI Dawn of Words.

The eBook is $7.99 and available through multiple outlets including iBooks, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardeners, Barnes & Noble here is a universal link

Royalties will be funding our local writers. Thank you Internet NZ

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To connect for future events, please sign up to Te Kāhui o Ngā Kaituhi Māori.

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Tēnei te mihi kauanuanu, te whakamanawa hoki, ki a Te Mātātuhi.

“Te Kāhui o Ngā Kaituhi Māori was supported in 2025 by Te Mātātuhi, mīharo! A special focus of our first annual national hui wānanga this October in Gisborne was to model marae-based programmes that we can deliver to iwi kainga at future hui. We want to create pathways for Māori writers who wish to write creatively in te reo. A particular goal is to create new literary stars among the new kohanga reo generation of rangatahi writers.  Tui, tui, tuhia!”
Witi Ihimaera, Chairman.

HE KARANGA KI NGĀ KAITUHI RANGATAHI

E whakanuia ana e Te Kāhui o Ngā Kaituhi Māori te manaakitanga a te Te Mātātuhi Foundation, nā rātou i tuku mai he pūtea hei hāpai i ngā kaituhi rangatahi o te motu. Ka kati ngā tono i te 1 o Hepetema.

Tēnei te karanga — kia rangona mai ā koutou reo, kia pānuihia mai ā koutou kōrero!

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Professional Development for Kaituhi Māori 

We’re drawing from the collective strength and knowledge our community of Māori writers to essentially create a whata for our excellence to sit on.

Ruby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) has created a toolkit module for kaituhi Māori; Paula Morris ran a webworkshop on writing first-person.

These sessions will become living artefacts that can feed many generations of writers. 

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The 2025 Te Kaituhi Māori mentorship and assessment programme recipients 

We are pleased to congratulate the four emerging writers who have each been selected for the Mentor Programme 2025, with a six-month opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed Māori writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable manuscript.

The four mentor and mentees matchings are Hoani Hakaraia with Cassie Hart; Mereana Latimer with Emma Hislop; Tallullah Cardno with Steph Matuku and Tommy de Silva with Cassie Hart.

The two emerging writers selected for the Kupu Kaitiaki Assessment programme for 2025 are Rose Toia and Billy Tangaere, who will receive detailed feedback on their writing and discuss next steps with their manuscript assessor.

Matua Witi Ihimaera DCNZM QSM (Ngāti Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), NZSA’s Ngā Kaituhi Māori Chair, says “E ngā kaituhi tātou, ngā mihi. It’s always thrilling to read the work of new writers and to trust to your potential, congratulations, mīharo. And I am always grateful to senior writers like Emma Hislop, Cassie Hart and Steph Matuku who have stepped up to provide the important tuakana-teina relationship that lies at the centre of this NZSA-Ngā Kaituhi Māori kaupapa to nurture new literary stars, he ngākau atawhai o koutou. To those who weren’t successful in your applications to the Mentorship and Assessment programmes, keep trying, I was once in your ranks! Kia kaha to all, kia manawanui.“

NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki Programme for Kaituhi Māori   

NZSA Kaituhi Māori Mentorship Programme

The 2025 programme applications closed on April 10. 

 

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2024 Events:

Ngā Pae Rewa Pū Kōrero – The Uprising of Storytelling Hui

Labour Weekend October 2024, Te Awhina Marae, Motueka

Fellow Māori writers shared knowledge, connected and uplifted ngā kaituhi Māori. The weekend featured workshops and kōrero with Witi Ihimaera, Hamish Bennett, Mat Tait, Paula Morris, Te Paea Maurirere, Perena Quinlivan, Nuki Takao, Renee Kahukura – Iosefa and others.

Ngā Pae Rewa Pū Kōrero Itinerary

 

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Tui Tui Tuhituhia (Come together, write)

Ōrongomai Marae, Upper Hutt, 3-5 May 2024

This wānanga follows on from “Tui Tui Tuhituhia (Come together, write),” the first major undertaking by Te Kaituhi Māori was the holding of a wānanga at Ōrongomai Marae, Upper Hutt, 3-5 May. The wānanga attracted Māori literary practitioners to discuss the question: What is the world of Māori writers? Prominent exponents like Patricia Grace, Haare Williams and Witi Ihimaera featured talking about their careers and what it has taken to sustain themselves within the whakapapa of New Zealand literature. The wānanga offered panels discussing such topics as Who are we? What has been our trauma? What do we need to assure our future? Special events acknowledged those Māori writers like Keri Hulme and Renée who have died recently, evening readings programmes, and a “Rangatahi Speak” forum for young writers. 

These wānanga are expected to inaugurate a biennial series. Te Kaituhi Māori’s plans are in place for the Gisborne event to take place in October 2025 (dates to be advised). Poho-o-Rawiri marae will be the major accommodation and lecture/seminar venue but visits to other venues including Rongopai, Waituhi, where workshops on writing in te reo, children’s writing, rangatahi sessions and writing whakapapa are planned. Whereas the two earlier events at Orongomai and Motueka have been wānanga, the Gisborne event is planned as a larger hui over a 3–5-day period coinciding with Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival. 

As well as wānanga and hui, Te Kaituhi Māori will be offering professional development wānanga – both kanohi ki te kanohi, and online. If you wish to register your interest, or have any requests for particular topics, themes, speakers, we welcome your thoughts and feedback. Link to interview about the event

NZSA Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme

The  Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme launched in 2024 to give emerging writers who whakapapa Māori the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed Māori writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state.

Read about the 2024 recipients

NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki Programme

The aim of this kaupapa is to provide new and emerging kaituhi with valuable feedback from a skilled Kupu Kaitiaki, for the refinement of a part of a manuscript written in te reo Māori. This programme launched in 2024.

Read about the 2024 recipients

CONTACT: tekaituhi@nzauthors.org.nz

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Join Us 

Come join us on this haerenga! Not an NZSA member or already a regional branch member? Fear not e hoa, you can still join our rōpū! 

To join our rōpū, and/or for pātai and pānui, please do get in touch!

This will enable us to develop a competent inclusive database, we don’t want to miss anybody out. If you are interested in serving on the committee, do let us know. We are looking for a couple more committee members right now and, also, for serving as future committee members. 

We welcome you, and your whakaaro to ensure this space is as valuable and welcoming as it can be for you and kaituhi Māori katoa. 

We are grateful for Matua Witi Ihimaera for helming Te Kaituhi Māori and encouraging our leadership so that we may grow it for our generation. 

We also acknowledge the significant mahi, vision and tautoko of Kim Harris and Midden Rahurahu.

Ngā mihi nunui ki a ia. 

Mō mātou

Perena Quinlivan

Perena Quinlivan (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tāmaki Makaurau based writer and founder of Te Puna Consulting, which provides business advisory, management consultancy and project management services.

He grew up in Hawkes Bay and graduated from Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Auckland, the University of Sydney, the Australian Graduate School of Management, Te Whare Wananga o Aotearoa, and Te Whare Wananga o Raukawa.  Perena has worked in the private sector and in a variety of senior roles in central and local government.  His fluency in Bahasa Indonesia enabled him to work both as a New Zealand diplomat and a Sydney-based management consultant in the Asia-Pacific region for several years.

Perena is a former recipient of an NZSA mentorship.  His poetry has been published in New Zealand journals. He is also part of the Te Kaituhi Māori branch komiti. Perena is Te Māngai Māori ki te Poari.

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Paula Morris

Paula Morris MNZM (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Whātua) is an award-winning novelist, short story writer and essayist. Director of the Master of Creative Writing at the University of Auckland, she is the founder of the Academy of New Zealand Literature; Wharerangi, the Māori literature hub; and the online Aotearoa NZ Review of Books. She edited the 2023 anthology Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories.

Paula is komiti member of Te Kaituhi Māori.

 

 

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Witi Ihimaera

Witi Ihimaera (Te Whanau a Kai, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading literary practitioners with over 30 creative works including theatrical and film to his credit. He is one of the NZSA’s longest serving members since the 1970s and was Honorary President in 2022-2023. He lives in Auckland.

 

 

 

 

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Te Po-tahuri-mai-ki-taiao
Ki te Whai ao
Ki te Ao marama
Tihei mauri ora