Editorial

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Welcome to T111, the August 2024 issue of takahē! The number 111 is supposed to be auspicious, portending opportunity and achievement and general good vibes. We could all use a bit of that. Wars are ongoing, housing and food are eye-wateringly expensive, 2024 is likely to be hottest year ever recorded on earth (again), and the arts are being dismissed and devalued by those in power, but at least we’ve got each other. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who reads this issue, and indeed to everyone who goes to a gig or talk or forum, buys an album, borrows a book, or raves online about a show they saw. The support that creators and thinkers need to thrive? Well, that comes from our communities first. You.

We are delighted to welcome aboard Ash Davida Jane and Angelique Kasmara as our new reviews editors. This position has never been shared before, and we are excited to see how their synergy of approaches plays out in the criticism we publish. Ash is a poet, critic, editor, and author of the Laurel Prize–shortlisted ecopoetry collection How to Live with Mammals. Anglique is a fiction writer, critic, translator, and author of the Ngaio Marsh Awards–shortlisted novel Isobar Precinct. 

We also are happy to reaffirm that our annual poetry competition, the Monica Taylor Poetry Prize, is open for entries for a month longer than it has been in the past—until 23.59 on 30 September 2024. We have heard from writers that August is a busy month in the Aotearoa New Zealand literary world and that it can be difficult to get a strong entry together before September. So we have listened! You have an extra month to mirror-polish existing work or generate exciting new stuff. Our judge, Renee Liang 梁文蔚, is keen. Entries can be made here. 

We hope you enjoy the work on offer here from some of Aotearoa’s best, whether you’re reading in the southern winter, the northern summer, or in a place without seasons. Find us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, and X, and let us know what you think. Genuinely! We love when people engage with what we publish. It’s one of the reasons we do what we do. 

On behalf of everyone on the masthead, be well. x

Ngā mihi,

Erik Kennedy

Poetry Editor