Rotuman poet Mere Taito says Pacific poetry is alive in New Zealand. Photo: Mere Taito/Facebook
Rotuman academic Mere Taito says it's an exciting time to be a Pasifika poet in New Zealand.
Friday was National Poetry Day in New Zealand and Ms Taito said this is a good time for poets across the country get together to celebrate their works.
Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh, New Zealand Poet Laureate Photo: Adrian Malloch/APO
Ms Taito said renowned poets Dr Selina Tusitala-Marsh and David Eggleton have lifted the profile of Pasifika poetry.
"The Pasifika poetry voice is strong. And it's alive and kicking and the Pasifika poet slammers in Auckland. We have so many high-profile strong Pacifica voices here like Tusiata Avia, Courtney Sina Meredith, and you have new voices like mine and Ria Masae coming out."
Mere Taito is a senior tutor at the University of Waikato.
Ms Taito said she tends to write a lot of political poetry but said she also has a passion writing about the loss and maintenance of languages.
"I've often described my political voice developing here," she said.
David Eggleton Photo: supplied
"It's so easy to be political here. New Zealand is a country of politics, of racial tension so that political voice grew here.
"But I'm also writing about language, the loss of language, language maintenance and things that I'm quite passionate about and language's one them."
David Eggleton was on Friday named as Pacific Poet Laureate for the next two years.
He replaces Dr Tusitala-Marsh.