24 Jun 2026
What first inspired Dr Atakohu Middleton to become a writer?
"My mum."
Behind those two words is a lifetime of stories.
As a child, her mum, Faye Middleton, would type out the stories she wrote, leaving space at the bottom of each page for her to draw pictures to go with them. Books were treasured in their home, and if Atakohu wanted one, her mum always found a way.
Looking back, she realises she wasn't just being encouraged to read. She was being shown the joy that stories can bring.
Today, Atakohu Middleton is one of eight writers recognised in the 2026 New Voices of Aotearoa, an annual initiative by the Coalition for Books that celebrates emerging authors shaping the future of literature in Aotearoa. Her upcoming collection, Waka Aroha, will also become the first collection of short stories for adults written entirely in te reo Māori.
But ask Atakohu what matters most, and it isn't making history. It's helping create the kinds of books she once searched for herself.
"There are lots of resources for tamariki and an increasing number of books translated into te reo Māori for adults, but there isn’t much original fiction for them. I wanted to help add to that bookshelf."
She remembers what it was like to be learning te reo Māori and searching for stories that reflected her own journey. She remembers being hungry for resources. Now, she hopes someone else, somewhere along their own ara ako i te reo Māori, might one day reach for one of her books.
Her own journey with te reo has shaped every part of her writing.
After spending time overseas, she realised that if she didn't fully commit to learning and using the language, she risked losing it.
"Reading and writing in te reo Māori connects me directly to my tūpuna. It's the closest link I have."
Before turning to fiction, Atakohu spent years telling other people's stories through journalism. Her first book, Kia Hiwa Rā!: Māori Journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, grew out of her doctoral research exploring journalism through a Māori lens. Writing fiction, however, was a different challenge.
"The journalist in me kept saying, 'You can't make that up.' I had to tell that little journalist voice to sit down and shut up," she laughs.
Writing, she says, has become her happy place.
"I never thought this would happen. But if I can do my little bit to support learners and fluent speakers, and add something to the Māori language bookshelf, then I'd love to do that. I remember how hungry I was for resources, and I'm still hungry for te reo."
Behind every writer, she says, are people who quietly believe in them.
For Atakohu, one of those people is author and mentor Dr Darryn Joseph, whose guidance has helped shape her writing over the past few years.
"He's been a huge part of my development. He asks questions, makes suggestions and lets me find my own way."
She also credits Creative New Zealand with giving her something every writer needs but rarely has enough of - time.
"It felt like a vote of confidence," she says. "Writing books is hard, and it takes a long time. That support meant I could put paid work aside and spend three days a week writing."
For Atakohu, that time made all the difference.
As more Māori writers continue to shape the future of literature in Aotearoa, she hopes her stories become part of a growing Māori language bookshelf, one that supports fluent speakers, inspires new readers and gives confidence to those still finding their feet in te reo.
Her message is simple. "Don't be frightened." After all, someone once filled her childhood home with books.
Today, she's hoping to return that gift by adding a few more to someone else's bookshelf.
Learn more about the 2026 New Voices of Aotearoa and meet this year's eight featured writers on the Coalition for Books website