How Novel! 7 Books That Made An Impression On Awanui Te Hui

Awanui Te Hui (Ngāti Maniapoto), researcher and lecturer at Te Herenga Waka’s Te Kawa a Māui, dives into the nuances of language loss, hope and the aspirations for te reo Māori in her book He Reo Tuku Iho: Tangata Whenua and Te Reo Māori.

Published 50 years after the delivery of the Māori language petition to parliament, He Reo Tuku Iho: Tangata Whenua and Te Reo Māori draws on findings from Manawa Ū ki te Reo Māori, a research paper authored by Te Huia that explores the motivators and boundaries to language reclamation for Māori in the colonial context of Aotearoa.

"The cover, designed by Tane Morris, reflects the many layers that are associated with reaching a comfortable state of being as confident users of our ancestral language. Throughout all the complexities there is a single thread that connects us all as Tangata Whenua."

A book I couldn’t put down

The Bone People by Keri Hulme. I was completely observed by this story and the characters that she created. I felt as though the book was like stepping into a time capsule where the realities of being in a small west coast community in Te Waipounamu during the 80s were so clearly described. She carefully inserts humanity into a story that could be seen as incredibly dark.

I also couldn't put down the book You Belong: A Call for Connection by Sebene Selassie. The book covers so many aspects that are relevant to our lives in 2022. Some of the ideas that she explores around relationality and connection were very nicely framed.

A book that changed my perspective

Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks. This book explores the role of capitalism, white supremacy, and how patriarchy operates. She breaks down in very simple and logical ways how society socialises us into accepting sexism as a normal part of our lives. She challenges these norms with compelling arguments.

A book that influenced my writing practice

Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft influenced how I think about the practice of writing. His writing habits, and the ways in which he views the act of writing were quite interesting to learn about from this book. Clearly, his fictional writing is something far removed from my own genre, however, I can appreciate the perspectives that he brings.

A book I gift to friends

Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised by Alice Te Punga Somerville. It's a book of poems that speaks to many experiences that we are familiar with as Māori who navigate what it means to be Māori across contexts within a colonised society where we are tangata whenua.

A book I wish I had read sooner

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Sadd and Robin DiAngelo. This book demonstrates how white supremacy is ever present in our lives. It also offers readers a set of tasks to work through within each chapter. These questions help the reader to see that we are not divorced or objective observers of white supremacy, but indeed, we are complicit in how it functions.

A book that’s underrated

Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying. In its popularisation through the Netflix series, the genius of her ideas may feel too simplistic. I think people wanting to create space in their lives would benefit from reading the book rather than merely watching the episodes.

He Reo Tuku Iho: Tangata Whenua and Te Reo Māori is available at Teherengawakapress.co.nz