Leilani Tamu

Leilani Leafaitulagi Grace Tamu (née Burgoyne) is a New Zealand poet and politician.

Leilani Tamu
BornLeilani Leafaitulagi Grace Burgoyne
Auckland, New Zealand
LanguageEnglish
Alma materSt Mary’s College, University of Auckland
GenrePoetry
RelativesBill Burgoyne (father)

Background

Tamu was born Leilani Leafaitulagi Grace Burgoyne in Auckland and is of Samoan, Tongan, Scottish and German descent. She is the daughter of rugby league player Bill Burgoyne and Ellen Oldehaver.[1] She grew up in Auckland and attended Marist School Mt Albert and St Mary's College.[1][2] She attended the University of Auckland where she studied history.[3] Her master's thesis was on Apia between 1879 and 1900.[4]

Tamu currently lives in Auckland.[5]

Career

For several years, Tamu worked as a diplomat for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including postings to Tonga (2010–2012) and Australia. After leaving the ministry, she became an active writer and social commentator, specifically on Pasifika issues.[1]

Published works

Tamu published her first collection of poetry, The Art of Excavation in 2014 (Anahera Press).[6] Her second collection, Cultural Diplomacy, was released in 2017, following her residency in Hawai‘i.[7][8]

With Melani Anae and Lautofa Luli, Tamu documented the history of the Polynesian Panther Party in the book Polynesian Panthers: Pacific Protest and Affirmative Action in Aotearoa NZ 1971–1981 (2015, Huia Publishers).[9]

Tamu is a regular contributor to Metro magazine and has been published in a number of literary journals and anthologies.[10]

Poetry by Tamu was included in UPU, a curation of Pacific Island writers’ work which was first presented at the Silo Theatre as part of the Auckland Arts Festival in March 2020.[11] UPU was remounted as part of the Kia Mau Festival in Wellington in June 2021.[12]

Parliamentary candidate

Tamu was placed 17th on the Green Party's list to contest the 2017 New Zealand general election, and ran for the New Lynn electorate.[13] She placed third in the electorate, behind Paulo Garcia and was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Deborah Russell.[14] The Green Party did not receive enough party votes to elect her from the party list.

Awards

In 2013 Tamu received Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.[15][8]

Her poetry collection, The Art of Excavation, was praised as a favourite book of 2015 by the New Zealand Book Council.[16]

References
  1. Husband, Dale (12 March 2017). "Leilani Tamu: Was John Key lying to us?". E-Tangata. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  2. "Leilani Tamu". Huia Publishers. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  3. "University of Auckland graduate wins Fulbright Scholarship to Hawai'i". The University of Auckland. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  4. Burgoyne, Leilani (2006). Re-defining "the beach" : the municipality of Apia, 1879-1900 (Masters thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland. hdl:2292/21585.
  5. "Leilani Tamu". New Zealand Society of Authors & Writers Association. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  6. Tamu, Leilani (2014). The Art of Excavation. Anahera Press. ISBN 9780473290047.
  7. Tamu, Leilani (2017). Cultural Diplomacy. Leilani Tamu. ISBN 9780473417130.
  8. "'Cultural diplomat' awarded writing residency in Hawai'i". Fulbright New Zealand. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  9. "Polynesian Panthers: Pacific Protest and Affirmative Action in Aotearoa NZ 1971–1981". Huia Publishers. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  10. "Leilani Tamu". Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. "UPU". Silo Theatre. March 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. "UPU". Kai Mau Festival. June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  13. "Green Party thrilled to announce initial 2017 party list". Scoop News. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  14. "New Lynn – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  15. "Samoan Tongan poet receives Fulbright writer's residency". Radio New Zealand. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  16. "Favourite Books of 2015". New Zealand Book Council. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
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