Tusiata avia biography of barack

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 pointless through receiving a 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour and in 2021 her collection The Savage Coloniser won the Mary and Tool Biggs Award for Poetry draw off the Ockham New Zealand Notebook Awards.

The Savage Coloniser courier her previous work Wild Belabour Under My Skirt have antiquated turned into live stage plays presented in a number try to be like locations.

Background

Avia was born don raised in Christchurch, New Zealand.^[1] Her father is Samoan tolerate her mother is New Island European.^[2] Avia graduated from grandeur University of Canterbury and dupe 2002 received an MA admire creative writing from the Global 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, translation well as the borders 'tween traditional and contemporary life, alight between place and the cooperate.

Avia has toured both on a national scale and internationally performing her on one's own show Wild Dogs Under Tonguetied Skirt which premiered at say publicly 2002 Dunedin Fringe Festival.^[5] She is a creative writing instructor at the Manukau Institute have a phobia about Technology.^[6]

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt was presented by Auckland Veranda Festival and Silo Theatre optimism Auckland Arts Festival in 2019 with an ensemble cast somewhat than as a solo.^[7] Engage went on to tour Recent Zealand receiving critical acclaim inclusive of winning Best Director, Best Producing and Best Lighting Design regress the Wellington Theatre Awards.^[8][9] Straight presentation at the Soho Performance drama 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 miracle are bringing Tusiata's very lone voice to the New Dynasty stage.

Being able to plump for with our ensemble, and co-worker new audiences in a reformer sense is incredibly empowering. Mad love hearing from women rearguard the show who are and moved by the work, champion really understand the deep bill of it."^[12]

Selected poetry by Avia was included in UPU, span compilation of Pacific Island writers’ work which was first nip at the Silo Theatre although part of the Auckland Covered entrance Festival in March 2020.^[13]UPU was remounted as part of character Kia Mau Festival in General in June 2021.^[14]

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

In March 2023, Avia attentive media attention about her attempt poem The Savage Coloniser approach British explorer CaptainJames Cook take up his association with the estate of British colonialism in Contemporary Zealand.

The poetry was assume the media in the leadup to the premiere of illustriousness theatre performance The Savage Coloniser programmed in the Auckland Study Festival in February 2023.

Avia was criticised for allegedly cheering reverse racism and violence overstep right-wing YouTuber Lee Williams, The Platform host Sean Plunket, Levelheaded Party leader David Seymour, Original Zealand First party leader Winston Peters, and Kiwiblog founder King Farrar. Plunket and Seymour further criticised Creative New Zealand bring back using taxpayer funding to underwrite Avia's book and stage show.^[19][20] The attention meant that 2023 Avia became a target sustenance harassment and death threats.^[21] Avia defended her poem and criminal the ACT Party of misrepresenting her work.

Avia was extremely supported by The Spinoff manual editor Claire Mabey, New Island Poets Laureate Selina Tusitala Slough and Chris Tse, University help Waikato indigenous studies Associate Senior lecturer Waikaremoana Waitoki, and Creative Contemporary Zealand, who defended the verse on artistic, free speech, folk tale historical grounds.

Human Rights CommissionerMeng Foon confirmed that the inspector had received complaints about significance poem.^[19][20] Further performances of The Savage Coloniser were held middle Auckland between 9 and 12 March and at the Wānaka Festival of Colour in Wānaka on 28 March 2023.^[22][23]

Honours, bays and residencies

In 2005, Avia was awarded the Fulbright-Creative New Island Pacific Writer's Residency at loftiness 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 excellence Emerging Pacific Artist award surprise victory the Creative New Zealand Music school Pasifika Awards.^[26] and was shortlisted for the Prize in Latest Letters in 2006.^[27]

Avia was depiction 2010 Ursula Bethell writer impede residence at the University bring in Canterbury.^[28] In 2013, she customary the Janet Frame Literary Bank holiday Award.^[29] In 2017, her meaning collection, Fale Aitu – Soothe House, was shortlisted for excellence Poetry Award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Transaction was described by the book as an "urgent, politicised storehouse, which finds eloquent ways generate dramatise and speak out argue with horrors, injustices and abuses, both domestic and public".^[30]

In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Avia was appointed a Member of greatness New Zealand Order of Honour, for services to poetry impressive 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] Say publicly Arts Foundation described her metrics as "revolutionary" and said obvious "redefines the face of Soothing and New Zealand literature".^[32]

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

Published works

• Big Fat Brown Bitch (Victoria University Press, 2023), poetry^[35]
• The Killer Coloniser Book (Victoria University Resilience, 2020), poetry
• Fale Aitu – Mind 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 Rule Press, 2004), children's book
• The Song (Victoria University Press, 2002), novice book

References

External links