Chris Reed reviews Katūīvei: Contemporary Pasifika Poetry from Aotearoa New Zealand for NZ Booklovers:
‘Katūīvei: Contemporary Pasifika Poetry from Aotearoa New Zealand is a landmark anthology that captures the vibrant and evolving landscape of Pacific poetry in this country. Expertly curated by editors David Eggleton, Vaughan Rapatahana, and Mere Taito, this collection brings together 137 poems from 89 poets of Pacific Island descent, providing a sweeping oceanic view of their diverse voices and experiences.
From the outset, the book establishes itself as a purposeful act of "wayfinding" - navigating the complexities of modern-world identity, cultural inheritances, and the multilayered realities of life in modern Aotearoa. The poems pulse with an array of tones, perspectives and aesthetics that reflect the depth and heterogeneity of the Pasifika experience.
Seasoned literary giants like Albert Wendt and Selina Tusitala Marsh anchor the collection with poignant explorations of ancestry, migration and belonging. Their well-honed craft stands alongside astonishing newer voices like Tusiata Avia, Courtney Sina Meredith and Karlo Mila, whose poems crackle with an electric vitality and inventiveness.’
Read the full review here.
