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The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Kataraina by Becky Manawatu review – a generous and masterful novel
The Māori and Pākehā writer Becky Manawatu's first novel, Auē (meaning 'to cry, wail or howl' in te reo Māori), came across my desk in a pile of books to judge for the 2020 Ockhams, New Zealand's most prestigious literary award. I'd never heard of Manawatu so the book arrived as blank as a newborn – and yet Auē read as if reincarnated for countless lives. It was an assured and flawless family drama exploring violence and redemption. It scooped the prize. In my notes I said the writing was 'like acid on the skin'. Manawatu has just released her second novel, Kataraina. Where Auē burnt, Kataraina heals; a soothing, rinsing, complex novel. Kataraina follows the eponymous character who is whāngai (aunty) to orphan Ārama, known as Ari and one of the narrators in Auē. This book acts as both sequel and prequel; one needn't read Auē to enjoy Kataraina, though their stories orbit each other in a tight dance. Kataraina, like Auē, is about family and violence, secrets and terrible inheritances. There is an incident involving 'the girl who shot the man' at the centre of the story to decipher, though crimes and their perpetrators in Kataraina are many and run deep. The plot is withheld for much of the novel; instead, this is a heart-touching portrait of Kataraina, from child to adult; the whenua (land) where she lives – the swamp, the river; and the ancestors that haunt them. Kataraina is told from a first-person plural point of view of the whānau (family), a collective perspective that spans centuries: 'It's an old story, and we can see it all as if we are there.' The story is nonlinear, and revealed in beautiful vignettes that weave together like the braided rivers of Kaikōura. The novel is as much about place – the braided rivers and the endangered kanakana (lamprey) – as it is about relationships between characters. Propelling the story forward is a secret – the identity of a murderer– that lingers as if 'once a dog barking somewhere distant, was now a shrill bird busting its head bloody against the glass pane of her heart'. Violence shimmers on the edge of the frame in Kataraina. It's the uneasy feeling of observation, of tiptoeing on eggshells before another character stomps over them. Words are powerful matter and Manawatu wields language like an axe against a stump, splintering across the page: We are dragons and demons and sluts and maggots and we cook a mean mutton chop and we roll a mean joint and write a mean essay and make a mean cuppa and can lend a mean ear and will let our patience be tested for love. It's all for love. We are mean Māori, mean. We're too much. As in Auē, Manawatu's descriptions are beautiful – the water's surface moves 'like a hand rubbing a dog's coat the wrong way'. There is so much mouthfeel in the writing – the 'soft fat water' of the ocean, the 'hot chips wrapped in creamy paper', in sumptuous, powerful passages like: 'The shamer is a beast, and it doesn't eat apples and eggs and creamed corn or pain. It slurps up hope and the people you might have been. Gorges on her brilliance.' Manawatu's writing style is reminiscent of Melissa Lucashenko, Toni Morrison and Keri Hulme – insofar as the author seems to be communing with these powerful characters on the altar of the page, and we, the readers, are opportune witnesses. Like Hulme, Manawatu is of Kāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu) whakapapa (ancestry). Kāi Tahu has its own storytelling tradition, and it sits here within the New Zealand gothic like a glove, the past informing the present and all time. Her words are a balm; woven into the text is the guttural language of te reo Māori, using Kāi Tahu dialect. I felt my tongue change while reading Kataraina, and the experience felt tapu (sacred) as the language tumbled down the back of my throat to the guts. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion There is a secondary narrative set in the present, in the form of a scientific field study of the river that 'flowed silver beside her, parallel timelines merging near the rising sun'. What I found genius about this thread was how it expanded my understanding of the observer and the observed through agricultural and botanical colonialism of the mahinga kai (food gathering places) of the Waiau-toa (Clarence River) and surrounds, while also adding depth and nuance to Kataraina's relationships, by examining them through historical changes and metaphors drawn from the landscape, past and present always conversing. The novel acts as a sort of river water; the swamp is the tipuna (ancestors), and we, the readers, are the kanakana swimming among them. Perhaps Manawatu, the storyteller, the whakahekenga (descendant), is scooping us up from the story of her ancestors, and walking us up the braided rivers, up, up, to Te Au nui (Mataura Falls) to learn, to be moved, to be changed. Whatever her intention, it is a wonder to read: Kataraina is a generous, expansive, masterful novel that drenches up and fills in at once. Kataraina is out through Scribe in Australia (A$35) and Mākaro Press in New Zealand (NZ$37)
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Kerrin Leoni Launches Historic Mayoral Campaign, Rallies Diverse Voices To Boost Voter Turnout
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter Kerrin Leoni has officially launched her campaign to become Auckland's first Māori woman mayor. During her campaign launch at Jubilee Hall on Friday night, she emphasised the need to mobilise underrepresented communities, particularly in South Auckland, to increase voter turnout in the upcoming election. More than 150 supporters attended her event, which featured diverse performances celebrating cultural representation. 'I am going to be the next Mayor of Auckland because this city needs a new generation of leadership that reflects our diversity, our challenges, and our huge, exciting potential,' Leoni told her supporters. Leoni (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Kuri and Ngāi Takoto) aims to enhance civic engagement, pointing out the low voter participation in areas like Ōtara and Papatoetoe. She plans to combine digital outreach with community organising to encourage youth voting. She honoured the late Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, acknowledging the racism he faced during his 2022 mayoral campaign. Manukau councillor Lotu Fuli highlighted the importance of active participation in honouring the legacy of Collins and former Minister Judith Tizard, who was concerned about postal voting accessibility. 'Efeso smashed those barriers,' she says. 'He made it easier for someone like Kerrin to stand up now. But we cannot afford to stay home again.' Fuli says voter turnout has been as low as 19 per cent in some South Auckland neighbourhoods, contributing to Collins' loss. 'Let's be honest. It was our own people who did not vote last time.' In the 2022 local elections, turnout was just 22 per cent in Ōtara and 24 per cent in Papatoetoe, well below Auckland's overall turnout of 35.4 per cent, according to official feedback from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board. Fuli praised the diverse turnout at Friday's launch as a sign of Leoni's leadership. 'Tonight's event is a snapshot of the kind of mayor and the kind of leader Kerrin Leoni would be,' Fuli says. 'We had African, tangata whenua, Pasifika from all parts of Auckland in one place. That is a testament to her leadership.' Leoni became Auckland's first wāhine Māori councillor in 2022. Now, she aims to take on the role of the city's first Māori woman mayor. Boosting voter turnout in underrepresented communities is a predominant focus of her campaign. 'That is going to be a number one priority,' she says. 'Some parts of South Auckland are only at 19 or 22 per cent. We need to knock on every door and encourage people to do the special votes. 'If you have not received your papers, and you are not used to updating your address, you might not even know what voting papers look like.' Endorsements from various leaders reflect excitement around Leoni's candidacy, highlighting her leadership qualities and the need for representation of Auckland's diverse population. They emphasise the importance of listening to young voices in decision-making and striving for greater inclusion in the electoral process. Former Minister for Auckland Judith Tizard supports Leoni's call to form an Auckland caucus, a cross-party group aimed at connecting councillors and MPs. 'We deserve a formal relationship for Auckland,' Tizard says. 'We are a third of the country. We need to work well. 'Only 37 percent of Aucklanders check their mail regularly. If you do not check your letterbox, you do not vote. And if you do not vote, you do not get change.' Leoni says her team will integrate digital outreach with community organising. 'All our youth are on TikTok and Instagram. We need to be there too. We want every young person to vote in this election.' Ōtara community leader Swannie Nelson described Leoni's candidacy as a source of pride. 'I am really excited to see a wāhine Māori running this year. Nothing against our tāne, but what an inspiration to ignite the dreams of our wāhine.' Reflecting on past support for Collins, Nelson says, 'We gave our hearts to my brother, Efeso Collins. It is a privilege for us to carry on the mahi he started. 'We do not just back anyone. We love what our sister stands for. Go hard,' says the self-described queen of Ōtara. Councillor Josephine Bartley echoed calls for strong leadership. 'We all saw what Efeso and his family endured when he ran. Kerrin is brave to put herself through the same thing. She is a wāhine toa.'. Bartley says the diversity at Friday's event showcases the kind of leader Leoni is. 'That is what Auckland looks like. You have got to represent that. Keep your head up. Do not listen to the haters. They are all shit.' Labour MP Willie Jackson acknowledges the weight of Leoni's decision to run. 'She will always be aligned with Māori. You cannot get away from us, Leoni.' He recalled private conversations with both Collins and Leoni about the importance of leadership and representation in Auckland. 'Kerrin came to see me and asked what I thought about her standing. Efeso did the same. I told both of them it was too hard, too tough, but they did it anyway. That takes courage,' Jackson says. Although Labour supports her run for council, Leoni is standing for mayor as an independent candidate. Tāmaki Makaurau MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp is encouraging her. 'Every day is a campaign day. Believe in yourself. Believe in your whānau. Believe in the people who voted for you.' Two rangatahi from Glen Innes opened the evening with a speech based on submissions to Auckland Council's Long-Term Plan. They called for free school lunches, access to te reo Māori, and a stronger youth voice in decision-making. 'See us, hear us, and believe we have the ability not only to survive but to thrive,' one says. David Guo, chair of the SportHub Community Trust, spoke on behalf of several Chinese community associations. 'Kerrin has the heart, integrity and courage to lead Auckland into a future that values every vote and every person,' he says. 'As minorities, we must unite as a force. Guo expressed pride in being joined by several representatives from the Chinese community. 'Our Asian community makes up a large part of Auckland's Eastern population, and we want to raise our voice.' He says representatives from the Onehunga Chinese Association, the West Auckland Chinese Association, and the East Auckland Botany Association attended the launch, while others sent their apologies due to prior commitments. Guo acknowledges Leoni's support for events like the Whau Chinese New Year Festival. 'Kerrin has actively supported that festival over the last eight years. Without her support, these events would not be possible.' Leoni says her campaign will rely on grassroots momentum. 'We have more than 100 people in our campaign team. They will be out knocking on doors. I will take at least one day off a week to rest because this will be an active campaign across the city.' With the election set for 11 October, she made her closing statement clear: 'This is just day one. But we are ready.'
