Te Hā o Ngā Pou Kaituhi Māori, are a national committee of Māori writers who support contemporary writing in Te Reo Māori and English. The committee was established as a forum to promote excellence in Māori writing and to tautoko new Māori writers.
Origins
Te Hā was originally established in 1991. This was a time when writing by Māori was being consumed widely by the New Zealand public. However, the writing community was aware there were few Māori writers with the skills to produce writing suitable for publication. Te Hā emerged to help fill these gaps.
The early activities of Te Hā focused on promoting nurturing new Māori writers to produce work and ensure that the full spectrum of Māori stories were represented in writing and publishing.
There were originally two writers’ committees under the Toi Māori umbrella. Te Huinga Taunake Kaituhi Māori was established in 1989 to promote writing in Te Reo Māori. Apirangi Tā Hirini Moko Mead was the founding chair of Te Huinga. The two committees formally merged their activities in 2021 to become Te Hā o Nga Pou Kaituhi Māori.
Statement
Te Hā facilitates workshops, publications, performances and reading tours, as well as a National hui every two years. Our committee members are based in Te Whanganui a Tara, Tāmaki Makaurau, Kirikiriroa, Te Tairāwhiti and Whakatāne, and we are always looking to support new groups to gather in the regions. We are a proudly grassroots network assisting writers at any stage of their publishing journey. We provide opportunities for writers to meet and connect, to learn from each other and to collaborate.
In 2025, we are planning a National hui, a zine-fest and a number of regional meet-ups and online workshops. We will also be partnering with Te Waka Taki Kōrero to host a wānanga for rangatahi. We are proud to collaborate with rōpū supporting kaituhi Māori across a range of spaces, including Te Waka Taki Kōrero Māori Literature Trust and Te Pou Muramura Read NZ. We have an established Te Tiriti Parternership with Verb Readers and Writers Festival.
—Nadine Anne Hura & Anahera Gildea, co-chairs
Current Committee
Founding Chair: Patricia Grace
Co-Chairs: Nadine Hura and Anahera Gildea
Members: Sophie Rangimārie Jolley, Trinity Thompson-Browne, Nadia Hineorangi Solomon, Mariwakiterangi Paekau, Matariki Williams, Pāora Tibble, Jacqueline Carter, Ruth Smith
He mihi tēnei ki ngā kaiarahi pū o tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira, miharo rawa ou koutou mahi
with thanks to the many hands who have carried this kaupapa since the very beginning, arā ko:
Witi Ihimaera, Haare Williams, Patricia Grace, Pōwhiri Rika-Heke, Robert Sullivan, Tina Makareti, Anton Blank, James George & Bridget Underhill.
Tungia Baker, Rowley Habib, J.C Sturm, Arapera Blank, Meihana Durie, Bub Bridger, Hone Tuwhare & Bruce Stewart
Written by Aroha Witinitara (Ngāti Kahungungu ki Wairarapa) February 2025