20 Aug 2010
Kapiti Islands Kaitiaki o Kapiti Trust announced today that writer Nuki Takao will be Kapiti Island’s resident writer this year.
The Tau mai e Kapiti Māori Writers Residency 2010, funded by Te Waka Toi / Creative New Zealand and hosted by Kaitiaki o Kapiti Trust,
offers a grant and allows an up-and-coming Māori writer to live and work on the northern end of Kapiti island for eight weeks. This year the residency will run from 23 August to 17 October 2010.
Nuki Takao (Ngāti Rārua – Turangapeke, Te Āti Awa – Otaraua, Ngāi Tūhoe -Tamakaimoana) says living on Kapiti will be like moving back through the mists of time.
‘To reside on Kapiti, on the island that stands apart from this world, will be more than a dream come true,’ says Nuki. ‘To tread in the undisturbed footsteps of the old ones, to spend time with the ahi kā, with those few who have held unbroken the thread down through the generations, will be an honour.’
During the residency Nuki plans to work on a childrens book, in Māori and English, which she hopes to eventually develop into a series. She says the story will be an historical, mythical, magical story based around Kapiti Island, its environs and its people. A heros tale with a child at its heart.
The Tau Mai e Kapiti residency is open annually to authors from all genres writing in English and/or in Māori. John Barrett and whānau, who live on Kapiti Island and run the Kapiti Nature Lodge, will be hosting Nuki during the eight week residency.
Were delighted to be sharing Matariki and Kapiti with Nuki, our third resident writer, he says. Were very grateful to our supporters for seeing the residency through for another year. Were very much hoping it will become an annual thing, as this is the only residency in the country
created and run by Māori for Māori writers.
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