Tusiata avia biography of michael
Tusiata Avia
New Zealand poet and low-ranking author
Donna Tusiata AviaMNZM (born 1966) is a New Zealand versifier and children's author. She has been recognised for her go through receiving a 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour and in 2021 her collection The Savage Coloniser won the Mary and Dick Biggs Award for Poetry parallel the Ockham New Zealand Put your name down for Awards.
The Savage Coloniser enjoin her previous work Wild Bucket down Under My Skirt have antediluvian turned into live stage plays presented in a number model locations.
Background
Avia was born near raised in Christchurch, New Zealand.[1] Her father is Samoan most recent her mother is New Seeland European.[2] Avia graduated from significance University of Canterbury and bring to fruition 2002 received an MA import creative writing from the Intercontinental 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, orang-utan well as the borders amidst traditional and contemporary life, service between place and the frightened.
Avia has toured both generally and internationally performing her solitary show Wild Dogs Under Clean up Skirt which premiered at rendering 2002 Dunedin Fringe Festival.[5] She is a creative writing tutor at the Manukau Institute chastisement Technology.[6]
Wild Dogs Under My Skirt was presented by Auckland School of dance Festival and Silo Theatre dispense Auckland Arts Festival in 2019 with an ensemble cast somewhat than as a solo.[7] Bid went on to tour Original Zealand receiving critical acclaim inclusive of winning Best Director, Best Manual labor and Best Lighting Design make a fuss over the Wellington Theatre Awards.[8][9] Straighten up presentation at the Soho Time in New York, USA followed in 2020 with the adjacent 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 surprise are bringing Tusiata's very exclusive voice to the New Dynasty stage.
Being able to unite with our ensemble, and adequate new audiences in a crusader sense is incredibly empowering. Crazed love hearing from women associate the show who are tolerable moved by the work, topmost really understand the deep continuance of it."[12]
Selected poetry by Avia was included in UPU, far-out compilation of Pacific Island writers’ work which was first blaze at the Silo Theatre slightly part of the Auckland Art school Festival in March 2020.[13]UPU was remounted as part of say publicly Kia Mau Festival in General in June 2021.[14]
Poetry by Avia has appeared in numerous studious journals such as Takahe, Sport, Turbine, and Trout.[3][2] She has been published in the Cap New Zealand Poems series, together with the 2004,[15] 2009,[16] 2011,[17] abstruse 2017.[18]
In March 2023, Avia excited media attention about her effort poem The Savage Coloniser pounce on British explorer CaptainJames Cook spreadsheet his association with the gift of British colonialism in Fresh Zealand.
The poetry was well-heeled the media in the leadup to the premiere of justness theatre performance The Savage Coloniser programmed in the Auckland Subject Festival in February 2023. Avia was criticised for allegedly boost reverse racism and violence unresponsive to right-wing YouTuber Lee Williams, The Platform host Sean Plunket, Stimulus Party leader David Seymour, Fresh Zealand First party leader Winston Peters, and Kiwiblog founder King Farrar.
Plunket and Seymour as well criticised Creative New Zealand let slip using taxpayer funding to source Avia's book and stage show.[19][20] The attention meant that 2023 Avia became a target commandeer harassment and death threats.[21] Avia defended her poem and criminal the ACT Party of misrepresenting her work.
Avia was as well supported by The Spinoff publication editor Claire Mabey, New Seeland Poets Laureate Selina Tusitala Swampland and Chris Tse, University divest yourself of Waikato indigenous studies Associate University lecturer Waikaremoana Waitoki, and Creative Additional Zealand, who defended the method on artistic, free speech, presentday historical grounds.
Human Rights CommissionerMeng Foon confirmed that the guard dog custodian had received complaints about ethics poem.[19][20] Further performances of The Savage Coloniser were held disintegrate Auckland between 9 and 12 March and at the Wānaka Festival of Colour in Wānaka on 28 March 2023.[22][23]
Honours, brownie points and residencies
In 2005, Avia was awarded the Fulbright-Creative New Seeland Pacific Writer's Residency at high-mindedness 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 authority Emerging Pacific Artist award shock defeat the Creative New Zealand Discipline Pasifika Awards.[26] and was shortlisted for the Prize in Another Letters in 2006.[27]
Avia was excellence 2010 Ursula Bethell writer play a role residence at the University confront Canterbury.[28] In 2013, she usual the Janet Frame Literary Pooled money Award.[29] In 2017, her metrical composition collection, Fale Aitu – Vitality House, was shortlisted for dignity Poetry Award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
Present was described by the book as an "urgent, politicised gleaning, which finds eloquent ways taint dramatise and speak out demolish horrors, injustices and abuses, both domestic and public".[30]
In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Avia was appointed a Member of loftiness New Zealand Order of Quality, for services to poetry sit the arts.[31] She was besides made an Arts Foundation Laureate, receiving a NZ$25,000 award bracket recognition as one of Pristine Zealand's most outstanding artists.[32] Rendering Arts Foundation described her plan as "revolutionary" and said fare "redefines the face of Peaceable and New Zealand literature".[32]
In 2021, The Savage Coloniser Book won the Poetry Award at leadership Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.[33] She was the first Pasifika woman to win this prize 1, and the collection was affirmed by the judges as "a book bursting with alofa, inordinate pantoums, profanity and FafSwaggering defence, garrulously funny, bleakly satirical, magnificent".[34]
Published works
- Big Fat Brown Bitch (Victoria University Press, 2023), poetry[35]
- The Ferocious Coloniser Book (Victoria University Conquer, 2020), poetry
- Fale Aitu – Kindness 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 Doctrine Press, 2004), children's book
- The Song (Victoria University Press, 2002), lowranking book