A Kind of Shelter (Whakaruru-taha)

There is no better way to describe this collection of 68 modern Aotearoa New Zealand writers than exuberance. What this country needs more than ever, at this point in its short history, is a reflective and insightful view of how things are from some of the finest literary minds that we have around us at present.

Bringing to light matua Witi’s approach to literature—which is to uplift those young, zestful and aspirational writers around the motu—this collection celebrates what it means to be part of our country, in this time. Things are different now, and it is through art such as the writing within A Kind of Shelter that solidifies that we have such a rich tapestry in our kete of knowledge emerging from writing and writers across both tangata whenua and tangata tiriti. We can, and must, celebrate both equally.

Writers from this collection span nations, heritage, gender, sexuality, perspective, and age. Stand-out Aotearoa New Zealand writers such as Witi himself, the wonderful Patricia Grace, and the ever lively Ben Brown add their vision of things from a position of wisdom and deep reflection. In addition to these powerhouses of Aotearoa New Zealand writing, there are many younger and lesser-known writers that are making their mark on the literary world through poetry, short stories, essays and creative non-fiction - along with some genre bending approaches that reinforce the innovative number 8 wire mentality is still alive and well in the writing world.

Nina Mingya Powles and Mohamed Hassan are standouts from a tangata tiriti perspective: their own voices are poignant and beautifully layered as they battle some, at times, hefty material.

Of all the concepts written about in the book, arriving not long after the destructive forces of Cycle Gabrielle, it is the future of our nation and the importance of working together in the face of adversity in order to thrive in our great little country. It is A Kind of Shelter from the storm.