Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards

Māori authors celebrated on Māori Language Day

Winners of the Maori book awards

On Māori Language Day, September 14 the inaugural winners of Massey’s Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards were celebrated at a function at the Manawatu campus.

The winning authors were chosen in six categories by public on-line and paper vote in July in six categories: Art, Architecture and Design; Biography; History; Sport and Recreation; Te Reo Māori; and Book of the Decade.

The awards are the brainchild of Spencer Lilley, the University’s Kaihautü Māori (Māori library services manager), he says the idea for establishing the awards to recognise Māori literature was the result of other major book awards failing to do so.

"The overarching trend across the six categories was that books about Māori written by Māori were the most popular," Mr Lilley says. "This is a reflection of how far publishing has come in this country in the past 20-30 years. Back then you would have been very hard-pressed to find a book about Māori written by a Māori author."

The complete list of winners in each category is:

Art, Architecture and Design
Māori Architecture: From Fale to Wharenui and Beyond - Deidre Brown

Biography
Tohunga Whakairo: Paki Harrison: The Story of a Master Carver - Ranginui Walker

History
Ngā Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship - Monty Soutar

Sport and Recreation
Beneath the Māori Moon: An Illustrated History of Māori Rugby - Malcolm Mulholland

Te Reo Māori
Tāhuhu Kōrero: The Sayings of Tai Tokerau - Merata Kawharu and Krzysztof Pfeiffer

Book of the Decade
Mau Moko: The World of Māori Tattoo - Ngahuia Te Awekotuku

Massey University

Māori students

Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards

Māori authors celebrated on Māori Language Day

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