New Publication Of Indigenous Writing From Aotearoa And The Moana Launched

A new journal of creative writing that is dedicated to providing a platform for Indigenous voices launches Friday 1 May 2020 at 12pm NZST.

Tupuranga, a te reo Māori word that means ‘to grow’, is the only creative writing journal in Aotearoa that is solely dedicated to publishing Indigenous voices. The editorial team is made up of six well-known writers and editors, each with Indigenous backgrounds: Faith Wilson is the lead editor, with Hana Pera Aoake, George Watson, Nina Powles, Pearl Hotene and Gem Wilder providing editorial support throughout the process.

Faith says that “Tupuranga prioritises Indigenous voices of Aotearoa’s tangata whenua, but is open to all people who identify as Indigenous. For instance, I’m Samoan, and consider myself an Indigenous person of the diaspora.”

“The idea for this journal sprouted in my brain years ago, but I kind of hoped someone else would do it. It seemed like a lot of work. But I waited, and no one else did, and so I asked a few other writers who I thought would provide some good knowledge and editorial support if they were keen to be part of it, and they were, so Tupuranga started”

“It came at a time when I was just a bit over mainstream New Zealand publications. The only one that I was really into, Starling, is for under 25 year olds, which sadly isn’t me anymore. Most other publications just publish the same voices and I wanted to hear from writers who had never published before, who were too nervous to submit to those gatekept journals.”

Tupuranga had a massive influx of submissions for the first round, many more than the team were expecting, which is evidence of how much of a need there is for this kind of publication.

“What was amazing is that over 75% of the writers that submitted were writers I’d never heard of, that were just giving it a shot. And while we’re still really happy to be publishing established writers, we want to be able to keep giving paid publishing opportunities to emerging Indigenous writers with a connection to Aotearoa and the Moana.”

Tupuranga are able to pay their writers through a Creative New Zealand Quick Response grant, that also helped them build their website.

You’ll be able to read Tupuranga’s first issue, TAHI, at www.tupurangajournal.com, from 12pm NZST Friday 1 May 2020. You can also check out their social media accounts for updates: @TupurangaJ on Twitter, Tupuranga Journal on Facebook, and @tupurangajournal on Instagram.

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