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.
Inspired by the discovery of a box of old family photographs from nineteenth century Samoa, Leilani Tamu says the ideas for The Art of Excavation started to unfold as she was completing a Masters in Pacific History at the University of Auckland.
"In that box of old photographs were so many untold stories, memories and history - I wanted to find a way of excavating them that was honest and true to my values as a Pacific scholar," says Leilani.
"Poetry provided me with the opportunity to do that."
Well-known, award-winning poet and teacher, Siobhan Harvey, says The Art of Excavation is a noteworthy first collection of poetry by a significant new author.
"The Art of Excavation is an exciting project by a voice much needed in the New Zealand literary landscape - Pasifika, female, informed academically and culturally, with an eye capable of sighting and microscoping wide-ranging, important historical and social affairs," says Siobhan.
Praise for the Art of Excavation also comes from award-winning poet, painter and editor, Gregory O'Brien, says verbally, Leilani's work is taut as a wire, yet filled with the relaxed and often informal music of spoken language.
"Alongside their strong visual register, the poems are characterised by a lively and enlivening music, and a sense of intellectual and emotional adventure," says Gregory.