"Whetu Moana" is a historic work - the first anthology of contemporary indigenous Polynesian poetry in English edited by Polynesians. It is a broad anthology, showcasing a wide range of contemporary Pacific writing by both established poets and younger voices. This is a companion volume to the well-regarded "Nuanua: an anthology of Pacific writing in English since 1980" (published by AUP, 1995). This anthology of contemporary Polynesian poetry in English, edited by Polynesians, is comprised of poems written over the last 20 years by more than 60 poets from Aotearoa, Hawai'i, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Niue and Rotuma. Well-known poets like Hone Tuwhare, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell and Haunani-Kay Trask are joined by younger voices. The poets appear in alphabetical order, representing both a collective Polynesian identity and a focus on individual style. Traditional laments mix with street-smart rap rhythms, images of seascape and landscape mingle with shots of urban slums, and the political stands alongside the personal. The impact is sometimes visual as well as verbal, with design and drawing accompanying the words. This anthology is a diverse collection of voices, confronting both a complex colonial past and a fast-moving global present.

About the Author

Albert Wendt is a well-known novelist and poet who has also edited two anthologies of Pacific writing, Lali and Nuanua (AUP, 1995). He is professor of New Zealand and Pacific literature at the University of Auckland. His latest collection of poems, The Book of the Black Star, will be published by AUP this year. Reina Whaitiri teaches at the University of Auckland and is a writer and researcher of Maori and Pacific literature. Robert Sullivan is a poet who has published three collections of poetry and a graphic novel. He works as a librarian at the University of Auckland and has two books forthcoming this year, Captain Cook in the Underworld (poetry) and Gods and Voyagers (a retelling of Maori myths and legends).