Applications open for Te Papa Tupu 2020

Posted: Monday Aug 03, 2020

Te Papa Tupu is a unique opportunity for Māori writers to build their confidence in a programme developed by the Māori Literature Trust and organised by Huia Publishers.

Six chosen writers will spend six months working alongside a mentor to develop their manuscript and improve their writing skills, all to meet the end goal of having a publishable manuscript. Writers will also receive a stipend, attend workshops and writers' festivals and become part of a writers community.

Te Papa Tupu has seen writers go on to publish their first book, and now we are seeing these writers publish further books and receive national recognition. Mark Sweet’s second novel, The History Speech, is a finalist in the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Whiti Hereaka’s third novel, Legacy, won the Young Adult Fiction Award, and Steph Matuku’s second novel, Whetū Toa and the Magician, was a finalist in the 2019 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Moreover, Whiti Hereaka and Jacquie McRae, past participants in Te Papa Tupu, are now mentors in the programme and supporting a new wave of talented writers.

Steph Matuku said, ‘My mentor, Whiti Hereaka, taught me about creative writing techniques and reviewed my work every week.’ While waiting for her first novel, Flight of the Fantail, to be edited, Steph complete Whetū Toa and the Magician.‘I’d got into the habit of writing every day and was able to take what I’d learnt and apply it easily,’ she continues. Te Papa Tupu is a unique programme thatencourages writers to stand tall as Māori and to support each other to become a strong force within the literary community of Aotearoa.

Who can apply?

• Māori writers who live in Aotearoa and have a completed manuscript
• Writers of novels, short stories, children’s books, young adult books and non-fiction written in English or te reo Māori
• Writers who are committed to attending, learning and fulfilling their dream of being published

How to apply

Complete the application form and submit your manuscript on the Trust's website: https://mlt.org.nz/te-papa-tupu/