To support Pasifika spaces, check out Alec’s post on Pacific Islander erasure in the book community, which highlights how Pacific Islander voices are often left out of AAPI and Asian Pacific American Heritage month. Readers can support Pasifika voices in May through their spaces such as Our Stories – Tala mai le Moana compiled by Lani Wendt Young, the Pasifika Book Club, Pasifika Tales, the Pasifika Spotlight and Ruru Reads hosted by Alec Te Pohe. Update: Alec has also shared a Resource of Pasific Islander Books of over 20 links on their site. Ruru Reads will be posting Pasifika writing all throughout May, so definitely check them out! Due to colonial violence and erasure, it is important to support Pasifika voices, lists and spaces first and foremost.
The following is a short list of local library books by mostly Māori writers because Aotearoa is nearby Australia. Tentative May TBR:
- House of many gods: a novel by Kiana Davenport (Native Hawaiian)
- Black Marks on the White Page Edited by Witi Ihimaera & Tina Makereti (Anthology of Māori, Pasifika and Indigenous writers)
Books by Māori writers:
- Where the Rekohu Bone Sings by Tina Makereti
- Potiki by Patricia Grace
- Dawn Raid by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith
*Feel free to read some great Pasifika books from the lists above!
What a wonderful tbr, these sound all amazing! Some day I will Black Marks, been on my list a while! It’s always a bit difficult to get at these books over here, but I found the publisher Huia on Scribd and have added some to my tbr: Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa by Tina Makereti, also Bugs and Nga Waituhi o Rehua. Have you read any of them?
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