A lively evening of spoken word performance from four of New Zealand’s leading poets: Tusiata Avia MNZM, Tayi Tibble, Hera Lindsay Bird and Daren Kamali. Responding to Te Atamira’s exhibition Lyrics and Lines, and bringing their own creative lens on life and art, these writers will draw us into the magic of the written and spoken word.

The Poets

Tusiata Avia is a poet, writer and performer. She has published 5 books of poetry, children’s books, short films, radio documentary and plays. Her iconic play Wild Dogs Under My Skirt showed Off-Broadway in 2020, where it won the Fringe Encore Outstanding Production of the Year.

Tusiata was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to poetry and the arts and an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2020; Distinguished Alumni at Te Herenga Waka University of Victoria, 2023; and in 2024, the Prime Ministers Award for Literary Achievement.

Tayi Tibble (Ngāti Porou/Te Whānau ā Apanui) is an award winning poet and writer who has published two poetry collections. She is a graduate from the International Institute of Modern Letters and the 2017 recipient of the Adam Foundation Prize for best manuscript. Her MA portfolio was the basis for her first book, Poūkahangatus, which won the Best First Book of Poetry Award at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Her second book Rangikura was shortlisted for the 2022 Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Hera Lindsay Bird is a poet from Dunedin, New Zealand. Her debut, self titled book of poetry Hera Lindsay Bird was published by Te Herenga Waka University Press and Penguin UK.  She won the Jessie McKay Best First Book Award in 2017, The Sarah Broom Poetry Prize in 2017 and was an Arts Foundation New Generation Laureate in 2017. She is currently working on a novel and an interactive text game for kids.

Daren Kamali is a Fijian poet, writer and musician, creative arts youth worker and mentor. He cofounded the South Auckland Poets Collective in 2008. Daren serves as Heritage Pacific Advisor to Auckland Libraries and he currently works with Na Tolu – The Three; an artist collective formed by himself, Joana Monolagi and Ole Maiava.

His latest publication with Na Tolu Collective is Drau Ni Ulu Tabu: Sacredness of Hair in the Ulumate Project: Sacredness of Human Hair series by Na Tolu. It is based on an old Fijian practice of wig ceremonies over two centuries ago. The completion of a contemporary ulu cavu wig for the project began 25-years ago, with the growth and collection of Daren’s hair since 1997. The publication portrays Fijian costumes and adornments, including the ulu cavu wig made by Joana Monolagi, as well as photographs by Ole Maiava and Daren.