Pikihuia Awards Celebrate 30 Years of Māori Literary Excellence

The Pikihuia Awards marked their 30th anniversary on Sunday, celebrating a significant growth in the representation of Māori writers over the past three decades. Held at Te Puia in Rotorua, this biennial event honors authors writing in both te reo Māori and English. The highlight of the evening was the prestigious Keri Hulme Award, named after the only Māori winner of the Booker Prize, which was awarded to Becky Manawatu for her book Kataraina.

Manawatu’s recognition comes on the heels of her recent victory in The Sargeson Prize, New Zealand’s largest short story competition, where she received $15,000 for her work The Vase. Robyn Bargh, chairperson of Te Waka Taki Kōrero, emphasized the importance of the awards in promoting Māori literature and storytelling. “Māori these days, we live in all different places and with all different experiences and we really want our literature to capture all of those,” Bargh stated.

This year marked a milestone as it was the first time the awards were held in conjunction with the Kupu Māori Writers Festival, further enhancing the platform for Māori authors. Bargh expressed a strong desire to encourage young writers, noting the introduction of the Tauira (student) Award, which was awarded to Tamihana Simmonds from Ōtaki. Simmonds’s schoolmates celebrated his win with a traditional haka, highlighting the communal pride in his achievement.

Reflecting on the changes since the awards’ inception in 1995, Bargh noted a dramatic increase in the number of Māori writers being published. “When we first set it up, you’d be lucky to have one Māori writer published a year,” she recalled. “Now, there are many more Māori writers being published, and they are also winning awards. At the National Book Awards, it is common to see several Māori writers as finalists.”

Looking ahead, Bargh emphasized the need to foster original works in te reo Māori. Currently, many published books in the Māori language are translations from English or other foreign writers. “We are really keen to publish more original works in Māori with whakaaro Māori and describing our situations as they are today,” she explained.

Bargh also highlighted the surge of original works being composed for Te Matatini, a festival celebrating Māori performing arts. She believes that these works should find avenues for publication, as they build upon the rich literary tradition of ngā mōteatea, or traditional Māori chants.

The 2025 Pikihuia Award winners included:

– Keri Hulme Award: Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) for Kataraina
– Poetry – te reo Māori: Aperahama Te Kapua-I-Waho Hurihanganui (Wairarapa, Te Arawa, Te Tai Rāwhiti) for Te Matatini
– Poetry – English: Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa) for skin
– Short Story – te reo Māori: Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rereahu) for Te Hapori Whanoke
– Short Story – English: Mark Horsefield (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Rehia) for The Sea Within
– Tauira Short Story Award: Tamihana Simmonds (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Huri, Pikitū Marae) for The Price of War

The Pikihuia Awards continue to play a crucial role in promoting Māori literature, encouraging emerging voices and celebrating the diversity of experiences within Māori storytelling. As the landscape for Māori writers evolves, the awards remain a vital platform for sharing their narratives with wider audiences.