A Book of Rongo and Te Rangahau

In this stunning new collection, poet Briar Wood reimagines the lives of Rongo and Te Rangahau, nineteenth-century wa hine toa, tu puna of Nga puhi, in radiant verse. The collection also stretches across time into todays world with poetry about contemporary Te Tai Tokerau, and covers issues ranging from politics and race relations to sharply observed poems about local people and places. The book features cover art by Nikau Hindin, an artist who is gaining attention for her work revitalising the art of making aute (Ma ori tapa cloth). The interior of the book has three pages of colour images to match the three section headings: a painting by Star Gossage and images from the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Poet, fiction writer and essayist Briar Wood (Nga puhi Nui Tonu) grew up in South Auckland, worked as a lecturer in Britain and now lives in Whanga rei. She won the Holyer an Gof award for poetry in Cornwall for her first full-length poetry collection Welcome Beltane (2012). Her second collection, Rawahi (Anahera Press, 2017), was shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2018. Her poetry has been extensively published and anthologised.