Latest news with #MatarikiBennett
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Whanau, whakapapa and Mercury Plaza in debut poetry collection
author interview culture 12:45 pm today Award-winning poet and filmmaker Matariki Bennett is celebrating her debut poetry collection e ko, no hea koe. It's been three years in the making and the coming-of-age style collection pays homage to Tamaki Makaurau, Wellington, her whanau and a period of her life in which she experienced many changes. The 22-year-old is a curator of the Auckland Writer's Festival alongside her father, writer and director, Michael Bennett. She's also a founding member of the bilingual Slam Poetry Collective, Nga Hine-pu-korero, which was honoured with the CNZ Pirere Award in 2021. Tags: arts author interview culture arts and culture poetry writing
The Spinoff
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘There's no book I wish I'd written': Matariki Bennett's favourite poems
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Matariki Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hinerangi), author of new poetry collection, e kō, nō hea koe; and guest curator at Auckland Writers Festival 2025. The book I wish I'd written There's no book I wish I'd written! Instead, here are some of my favourite poems: Still life of the wind that carries me home to home (as it is today) by Liam Jacobson; The White Swans Are Dancing With Their Eyes Closed, In the Flurry by Joanna Cho; te henga by Isla Huia; Lightning by Khadro Mohamed. Everyone should read We're All Made of Lightning by Khadro Mohamed. This has been my favourite book for the past two or three years. I don't enjoy rereading books but I have read and reread We're All Made of Lightning and each time there is something new that swirls in my brain for the next few days. Kei runga noa atu. The book I want to be buried with Eulogy (not published) by Jane Holland, and Better The Blood by Michael Bennett. These are books written by my parents; I'd want to be buried with these because my writing isn't just mine, it is an echo of everything that has come before. The first book I remember reading by myself Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Dad used to read this to my siblings and I most nights, it is forever a comfort book. One of the earliest novels I recall reading was Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame. I think I read this far too young, and it has really stuck with me. Fiction or nonfiction Recently I have been reaching for nonfiction. Two books I've read that have had a huge impact on me have been Hine Toa by Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku; and Colonising Myths – Māori Realities: He Rukuruku Whakaaro by Ani Mikaere. Above all else though, I love to read collections of poetry. My favourite collections at the moment are Talia by Isla Huia and People Person by Joanna Cho. If I could only read three books for the rest of my life they would be We're All Made of Lightning by Khadro Mohamed; Colonising Myths – Māori Realities: He Rukuruku Whakaaro by Ani Mikaere; and any collection of New Zealand poetry! Greatest New Zealand book Small Holes in the Silence by Hone Tuwhare. Best thing about reading I love being swallowed into someone else's universe and being able to exist there for a bit. Best place to read Before I moved to the seaside, I loved to drive down to the South Coast of Wellington – usually Red Rocks – and I would read and write there, listening to the waves roar and letting the wind rock the car. Now I am lucky to be able to sit by the window in my lounge, and have that same feeling. What are you reading right now I have a habit of starting multiple books at once, which makes finishing them very difficult! I am currently reading: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; The Woven Universe by Māori Marsden; and Time of the Child by Niall Williams. e kō, nō hea koe by Matariki Bennett ($35, Dead Bird Books) is available to purchase through Unity Books. Matariki Bennett is also a guest-curator at the Auckland Writers Festival which begins this week. The Spinoff Books section is proudly brought to you by Unity Books and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books online today.
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Matariki Bennett Releases Her Debut Collection Of Poetry 'e Kō, Nō Hea Koe'
May 7, 2025: Matariki Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hinerangi) is a 22 year old award-winning Slam Poet and Filmmaker. She is a founding member of Ngā Hinepūkōrero, a bilingual Slam Poetry Collective, who in 2021, were honoured with the Creative New Zealand Ngā Manu Pirere Award, recognising outstanding emerging Māori artists. In 2023, Matariki was the Wellington Poetry Slam Champion. Her work has been on display in collaborative exhibitions with her sister, Māhina and brother, Tīhema at Corban's Estate and at the Caretaker Cottage in Tāmaki Makaurau. Most notably, the film she co-wrote and co-directed, ' Te Kohu ' (2022)' was nominated for 3 awards at the NZ Film and Television awards, and her short documentary, ' Wind, Song and Rain (2022)' screened at ImagineNative in Toronto. Today Matariki releases ' e kō, nō hea koe, ' her debut collection of poetry, published by Dead Bird Books. e ko, no hea koe is a series of goodbyes and attempts to slow the shedding, it's a group of teenagers sparking up as they watch the pacific garbage patch catapult into space and become a second moon, it's endless conversations with Grandmama about stars, it is the constant rebirth of whakapapa and learning that silence isn't the best part of her. Matariki Bennett shares 'This collection of poetry was born years ago in my friend's garage. In the poem 'rothmans and rockstars' I say, 'riot police for a group of teenagers, performing kapahaka and stolen poetry' which is exactly what happened - we dreamed of the kind of books we'd write late into the night, riffing poems we'd perform at the next open mic against a backdrop of Polyfest / Matatini brackets (the riot police only showed up once!). On one of these nights, e kō, nō hea koe was a line my friend, Manaia shared. I wrote it in my notes and kept coming back to it each time I started a poem. I wanted to understand the identity markers we use and why they make up such a huge part of human interaction. I guess I was just trying to suss out who I was. So, that was the initial intent of writing this book.' 'Throughout this process, I was able to delve deep into my whakapapa on all sides - meeting whanaunga in photographs, story and memory. From this, I found many answers to the question I posed at the outset of the book 'ko koe te whakatinanatanga,' ō te katoa, te tūāuriuri, te hae o te ata, ō pakiaka tipu whakararo ai, ko ia kei raro iho, ka kore koe e ngaro.''
