Woven

by Anne-Marie Te Whiu (Editor), Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Jackie Huggins

Following from the much-loved Guwayu anthology, this second collaboration between Red Room Poetry and Magabala Books invites some of the world’s leading First Nations poets together in poetic conversation. This collection weaves words across lands and seas, gathering collaborative threads and shining a light on First Nations poetry from Australia and across the globe.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

Born and raised in Brisbane, Anne-Marie Te Whiu is a proud descendant of the Te Rarawa tribe in Northland, Aotearoa. She has primarily worked as cultural producer and curator, recently having Co-Directed the Queensland Poetry Festival from 2015-2017.

Her work within spoken word includes being Co-Producer of Woodford Folk Festival's long-running spoken word showcase WordFood and State Library of QLD's Event Coordinator for the Australian Poetry Slam.

Anne-Marie is the Co-Editor of Solid Air, Australian and New Zealand Spoken Word Anthology (University of Queensland Press) and is currently the Co-Editor of two Verity La poetry streams – the spoken word submission stream Slot Machine as well as Discoursing Diaspora. She is also an emerging poet & weaver, with writing recently being published in Cordite, Australian Poetry Journal and A Fine Line, and exhibiting her woven installation ātete as part of the Ctrl+Alt+Delete Pasifika Showcase at Outerspace Gallery in Brisbane. Earlier this year, Anne-Marie traveled to Wellington, Aotearoa with the support of Create NSW where she was selected to participate in the Māori & Pasifika Intensive Creative Writing Workshop at the IIML, Victoria University.

Reviews

[Zara Chauvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unreal. Absolutely beautiful collection. My new favourite poem might just be “The Poem” by Alison Whittaker !

Really incredible collection of individually amazing poems, but collectively an outstanding mosaic of diversity - so many different styles, themes, and even languages and contexts.

All shared and written by the solidarity of being Indigenous / First Nations people around the world (“If solidarity is a framework for poetic dialogue - -> I respond ‘what do you think?’”) - primarily from different peoples on what we call Australia.

Expressing this in love of country, connection to ancestors (“time is compressed
we, me, more’”)
and traditions, grief, (“the incomprehensible simplicity of how ignorance and fear can produce such horrors…”) anger and rage, and healing (“it is said that water can carry away grief.”)

“we balance the big and
the small stuff on this axis of poetry”

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex, in some places angry. I love the dialogic work with in some cases invisible seams.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, moving collection of poetry collaboration between poets provided a unique connection and appreciation of the many themes explored.

Read by Mahli

[julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

some great poetry!! really loved this collection and the focus of the connections between indigenous communities worldwide 🤍