Vaughan Rapatahana (new)

'Wild Honey, Reading New Zealand Woman's Poetry' — Paula Green

Vital publication about New Zealand women poets

Wild Honey: Reading New Zealand Women’s Poetry (Massey University Press, 2019), by Paula Green, is an important book.

'Poems from the Edge of Extinction'

Focusing on endangered languages via the power of poetry

Vaughan Rapatahana (new)

The anthology Poems from the Edge of Extinction (Chambers, UK, 2019) edited by well-known English poet, Chris McCabe, was launched at Poetry International, The Southbank Centre, London in mid-October, 2019. He was the MC on this occasion, as well as for several other events during the festival. It is an important collection of poetry written in indigenous languages — including my own, te reo Māori — which are being threatened by dominant Hydra-like languages — like English and to a lesser extent others, such as Mandarin.

Kia ora.

These ladies are not afraid to rage against the machines: part two

Kiwi Asian women poets have strong opinions. [Part two]

Vaughan Rapatahana (new)

Kia ora ano.

In part two of this commentary post, I will include several poems by the poets featured in part one, furher emphasizing their frankness and willingness to speak their minds about cultural connections and disconnections as Kiwi Asian poets, as well as about how they see Aotearoa New Zealand per se.

I will also feature Shasha Ali and her own comments with regard to the questions I asked other poets, in part one.

These ladies are not afraid to rage against the machines

Kiwi Asian women poets have strong opinions. [Part one]

Vaughan Rapatahana (new)

I was completing a chapter in the forthcoming 2019 book, English in the South, edited by Kyria Finardi and published by Eduel, Brazil, when I thought that I really must write a commentary regarding the influx of young Asian poets, who were born in Aotearoa New Zealand, or have arrived to live here for long periods. Why? Because my chapter is entitled Confronting the English language Hydra in Aotearoa New Zealand and bemoans the lack of recognition given to Asian languages in the country because of the domination of English language exponents and their monolingual expectations, and the concomitant definite lack of deference to Asian peoples per se — despite the fact they will be the second largest cultural demographic here by 2026.

Sit up and listen: Tusiata Avia.

Vaughan Rapatahana (new)

Tusiata Avia [photo credit — Hayley Theyer, courtesy of Phantom.]

Sit up and listen! The poetry of Tusiata Avia demands that you do, whether you are reading it in book/online form, or more especially if you see her perform her work live. Check out also the links to her delivering on YouTube, as listed below this commentary.

Talofa lava. (Hello to you).

Before I write more, let me provide a bit of background information about Tusiata.

Kia ora ano [Hello again].

In this further range of commentaries concerning poetry in Aotearoa New Zealand, I will continue to concentrate on poets and poetry who extend and garnish the already rich poetic repast in this, our skinny country, out to and over the boundaries of what has been the consistent domain of 'mainstream' poetry. Yes, 'mainstream' is an especially amorphous term, however, the poetic voices I will include and discuss, will speak for themselves in terms of displaying alternative approaches - such as writing in languages other than English; abnegating 'traditional' topoi; ignoring strict verse/stanza structures te mea te mea te mea (etcetera).

As for me, I will briefly expand on my own bio', that is add background details since the 2015 commentaries. In 2016 the University of Santo Tomas Press, Manila, Philippines, published Atonement. The collection was nominated for the National Book Award in Philippines, that year - something I feel very humbled and yet honoured about.

In the same year I was the winner of the inaugural Proverse Poetry Prize - an international poetry competition, with headquarters in Hong Kong. Once again, I was - and remain - especially honoured to achive this award.

My own efforts to combat the pervavsive and always concerning spread of the English language in traditionally non-English language communities led to my instigating and co-editing Why English? Confronting the Hydra (Multilingual Matters, Bristol, England) also in 2016. Such efforts continue unabated, by the way, in terms of several other recently published pieceswritten by Rapatahana, in this regard.

Finally, my most recent poetry collection, ternion, was published in late 2017 by erbacce-press, Liverpool, England. I appreciate this opportunity greatly.

I also appreciate the ironies involved in being published by leading English publishers, while at the same time exploring how best to oversome English language hegemony!

Tena koe [Thank you].

Vaughan Rapatahana

Why English? Confronting the Hydra

Atonement

ternion

Proverse Poetry prize award ceremony

New Zealand Book Council Writers File