Meet the Pasifika poet and 2024 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow making history.

Posted: Thursday Aug 22, 2024

Congratulations to Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh ONZM, FRSNZ who has been awarded the 2024 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, making her the first Pasifika writer to receive the honour.

Meet the Pasifika poet and 2024 Katherine Mansfield… | Arts Foundation (thearts.co.nz)

Poet, author, and academic Ahorangi / Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh ONZM, FRSNZ has been awarded the 2024 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, becoming the first Pasifika writer to receive this honor and marking a significant moment in recognising Pacific voices in Aotearoa New Zealand’s literary landscape. The Fellowship will enable her to live and write in Menton, southern France, for three months with all expenses covered.

“I’m ecstatic and deeply honored to be selected as the 2024 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow,” says Selina Tusitala Marsh. “Being the first Pasifika woman to receive this Fellowship is profoundly meaningful to me and, I hope, to the communities I serve. It's a testament to the growing recognition of Pacific voices in our literary landscape. I hope it opens doors for more voices to be heard and celebrated in the future.

It really is a dream come true – the chance to fully immerse myself in my writing and creativity for months and bring some long-awaited projects to life. I’m excited to dive into the ‘FETUSTARS’* project, a book I’ve had inside me since 2005. I’m eager to map the constellations of Pacific women's poetry across our literary firmament and ensure their starlight shines for generations to come.”

Geraldine Baumann, Chair of the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship Advisory Committee, adds, “Selina Tusitala Marsh is an extraordinary talent, and it's a significant moment for us to have our first, long-overdue Pasifika fellow. As a former Poet Laureate, her voice has already shaped our literary landscape, and we are thrilled to see her receive this recognition.”