Kiwi Fulbright scholar, former diplomat, Pacific historian, mother and poet, Leilani Tamu launched her first poetry collection, The Art of Excavation, to literary acclaim.
Through a series of cleverly articulated poems, The Art of Excavation retells Pacific stories of the past from the perspective of a young Pacific woman living in the present.
The honest prose delves into the complex and multifaceted nature of the Pacific as it is today and by turns is a fierce, political, tender, insightful, contemplative and intimate excavation of the region.
At the young age of 31, Leliani Tamu represents an emerging generation of New Zealand-born Pacific leaders who are achieving extraordinary things.
With a background spanning the diverse fields of history, diplomacy and poetry, Tamu provides readers with fresh and engaging insights regarding issues of social and cultural relevance to New Zealand and the wider Pacific region.