Wellington born Samoan author of children's Pasifika books and the creator of Mila's books, Dahlia Malaeulu, is launching eight new children's stories this year.

The stories include a board book "Going to Te Papa" which they are releasing with Te Papa Press.  Mila's "My Gagana Series 2" which includes four early gagana readers and Mila's "My Aganu'u" series 1 which includes two picture book stories that they are self-publishing for Mila's books.

In the second half of the year Dahlia and her team will be releasing their second MG/YA book - "Tama Samoa".  Last year she released "Teine Samoa" which was originally written during the lockdown in May and then released as an ebook for Samoan language week last year.  The paperback edition was then published in October including study questions for students and the Teine Samoa Project.  Read more about both Dahlia's background and the Teine Samoa book in her Women of the Islands profile here.

The new releases this year represent a lot of firsts for Dahlia and her team.…more

In episode 8 we kōrero with Tiana Metuarau - a Māori/Kuki Airani student athlete who uses her platform to highlight the beauty of her Polynesian whakapapa. 

For the first time ever, Tiana publicly opens up about overcoming anxiety and body image issues and how this has been amplified through her netball journey. 

She talks to us about what it was like playing semi-professional netball at 15 years old while having to balance high school and bringing Te Ao Māori into her netball environments. 

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In episode 7 we kōrero with Qiane Matata-Sipu - a Te Waiohua and Waikato Tainui mana wāhine who is a māma, wife, business owner, photographer and passionate social activist. 

Qiane Matata-Sipu leads the team behind NUKU. a platform that amplifies the voices and stories of kickass indigenous women.

She also talks to us about being raised on her papakainga by a kickass indigenous wāhine to now raising her own daughter on the same whenua. 

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In episode 7 we kōrero with Te Awanui Reeder also known as Awa. He talks to us about growing up in the 90s, his Reo journey and how he raises his tamariki to empower their multicultural (Māori, Samoan, Japanese) heritage.

He is widely known as the lead vocalist for Nesian Mystik but also has a passion for education. Awa has also developed an impressive business portfolio and shares some advice for budding entrepreneurs. He also drops exclusive details about a new Māori anime series he and his team are working on. 

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In episode 5 we kōrero with Sulu Fitzpatrick - professional netballer, proud mum, athlete, partner and student. 

She talks to us about being raised within a big Samoan aiga as a whāngai child and her struggles with being a young mum, mental health and body image. 

She also shares about her journey with her Samoan culture and being the first professional netballer and Silver Fern to play with a malu. 

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In episode 4 we kōrero with a Samoan/Kuki Airani social media influencer Lavi Vetelino, or better known as, Fresh Brince. He was raised in Palmerston North before moving to Logan, Brisbane, and then returning to Aotearoa over 5 years ago.

Lavi is a genealogy nerd and can trace his Cook Islands heritage back ten generations. After living in Australia for 9 years and having limited access to his cultural heritage, his family made the move to Mangere where the overload of Polynesian culture came as a shock.

Alongside Lavi, Coco-Ngāti hosts Maia Wilson and Johnson Raela also share their struggles with body image.

Coco-Ngāti is made with support from Foundation North and The Coconet.

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In episode 3 of Coco-Ngāti we kōrero with a model, radio host and community champion who is loud and proud to be a Cook Islands Ghanaian woman. 

Ernestina Bonsu-Maro talks to us about walking with her head held high in her dark skin, growing up in Mangere, South Auckland and how she stays connected to her African roots.

This talented mixed-race wahine and her two siblings were raised by a fierce single Mum who taught her to proudly speak her Pukapukan language. 

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