Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh wins the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award for "Mophead"
Samoan/Tuvaluan, Auckland based poet Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh has won the supreme prize at the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. She won the 'Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award' for her personal picture book, "Mophead"
'Mophead' is the story of what it felt like to be a little girl with big hair and how she grew into it and became our Poet Laureate. It's dedication: “For those who stick out.”
Watch her acceptance speech in the video above where she talks about how she also illustrated the book herself as well.
Here’s a snippet from the press release, covering what the judges said:
Mophead is “clever, joyful and inspiring, with not a smidgen of pretension or condescension”. They went as far as calling the book “perfect” – describing it as a taonga that should be placed in the hands of every child in Aotearoa, especially young Pasifika children who might not yet know their own creative power.
“We love this book’s design and production.…more
"Please remember this is a pandemic. It's not just happening here in NZ"
New Zealand Registered Nurse and Pacific Health Advocator Ange Lina shares some helpful advice & info, after seeing misinformation being shared across social media with news of Covid19 positive cases in the community again.
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1. South Auckland wasn’t targeted with a fake community case. South Auckland is the epicentre where all the positive cases from travellers set foot in. The New Zealand international airport is in South Auckland. You have people who are quarantined in South Auckland.
2. This isn’t a political strategy. This is a public health strategy. If no one does this then who is responsible? Jacinda did not make these decisions on her own. There’s a team of experts, just like there’s a team that helps decide what the best medical intervention is for your loved one when they’re in hospital.
Matt Johnson's incredible survival tale | The Breakdown | Sky Sport
The inspirational story of former Blues player Matt Johnson.
After three heart surgeries, he almost died two months ago. Johnson and partner Taylah share his survival tale on Sky Sport's The Breakdown
COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) update – 11 August, 2020 9pm | Ministry of Health NZ
11 August 2020 9.30pm
Prime Minister Jacinda Adern and The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield have addressed media tonight in a press conference.
Media were only notified shortly before 9pm.
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There have been four positive cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. After 102 days without community transmission they are the first cases acquired from an unknown source.
Ardern said we must take a "precautionary" approach as no origin had been found, or link to isolation facilities or people who work at the border. She reiterated the message of "going hard and going early".
"In line with our precautionary approach we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift action with us."
Auckland moves to level 3 restrictions from 12 noon tomorrow. The restrictions will last three days until midnight Friday.
"These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have wide-spread contact tracing," Ardern said.
Aucklanders are asked to stay home to stop the spread.…more
JASON MOMOA - MY WIFE'S FIRST MUSTANG
Jason Momoa had a special surprise for his wife Lisa Bonet.
The Aquaman star shares this video of a project 14 years in the making that centred on restoring Bonet's first car that she bought when she was 17.
"I know we can’t relive a memory, but maybe we can rebuild one," Momoa says
KO AU - PROJEKT TEAM
RELEASE FROM COVID LOCKDOWN LEADS TO UNIQUE DANCE EXPERIENCE
Two months apart proved too much for the Projekt Team, who have used the time since the lifting of New Zealand’s Covid-19 response to perfect their first full-length multidisciplinary dance installation.
The Auckland based street dance collective is taking their compelling dance performance public, with the interactive experience “KO AU”, marking a new direction for the group. To create this unique show, Projekt Team and Creative Communities are taking over the Nathan Homestead - Manurewa Arts Centre. The dancers create an immersive experience guiding spectators through the various rooms, only allowing for small audience groups.
Ko Au, which means “I Am”, is inspired by the personal stories and diverse traditions of the dancers. The show is an opportunity for dancers to express their most vulnerable selves, drawing on the varied and differing cultural narratives of the dancers.
The unique experience is a performance installation more than a dance-show. The hour-long KO AU takes six separate guided tours per show, each 5 minutes apart.…more
UNCLE SAM GOES UNDERCOVER with PATRICK TUIPULOTU
Coco Congrats to Blues captain and All Black, Patrick Tuipulotu who scooped up the major honours at the Blues Awards announced at a function last night in Auckland.
Tuipulotu was awarded the Blues Most Valuable Player of the Year honour as well as the prized Mealamu Medal, awarded to the person who makes the biggest contribution to the culture of the organisation.
The towering figure has been arguably the form lock and one of the leading forwards in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.
Read more here
ORDINARY TONGAN LIVES - Houma, Tonga
Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page
“At about 2:30pm yesterday, we were at Fanga selling a truck-load of manioke. After 30 minutes of sitting there, we sold one basket. That’s when I called my Mom and asked to speak to my Dad. I wanted his permission to give away the cassava for free—especially for those in dire circumstances after the cyclone. My Dad grows a lot of different crops. We help him and we also sell his crops. Knowing him, I knew he’d say yes. It’s something he’s always done so of course he said yes. We stopped selling right away and headed straight to Pātangata. We stopped at every house to drop a basket for each family. Many of them thought they had to buy them.
They told us how they live off the ocean and don’t have tax allotments for farming. I really felt for a lot of them. They definitely needed it. Some people ran to their houses to get seafood in exchange for what we gave.…more
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA PASIFIKA COMMUNITY - COVID19 STAGE 4 RESTRICTIONS INFORMATION
On Monday the 3rd of August, the State of Victoria in Australia entered a State of Disaster (Stage 4 Lockdown).
Many of the Pasifika communities in the State were needing precise information on the lockdown rules in order to pass on to families and elders where English is their second language.
Rita Seumanutafa and the Standing Together - Brimbank Pasifika Facebook page have worked together with local translators to get this resource and information out to the Pasifika communities.
Please find this important information below summarised and translated into Fijian, Niuean, Samoan & Tongan.
** IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE **
As promised, here are the STAGE 4 RESTRICTIONS in Pacific languages. We apologise for the delay in getting these organised, government is too slow for us and our Pasefika communities need accurate information ASAP, so we have called on our local elders for help with this.…more
BRUTAL LIVES - MO'UI FAINGATA'A: Private Screening
"Brutal Lives - Mo'ui Faingata'a" the first ever Tongan language drama series coming to the CoconetTV. Full series out Wednesday, 5th August.
Check out what people had to say after the private screening of Brutal Lives in Auckland last week.