E kō, nō hea koe: Whanau, whakapapa and Mercury Plaza in debut poetry collection

Award-winning poet and filmmaker Matariki Bennett is celebrating her debut poetry collection E kō, nō hea koe. It's been three years in the making and the coming-of-age style collection pays homage to Tamaki Makaurau, Wellington, her whanau and a period of her life in which she experienced many changes. The 22-year-old is a curator of the Auckland Writer's Festival alongside her father, writer and director, Michael Bennett. She's also a founding member of the bilingual Slam Poetry Collective, Nga Hinepukorero, which was honoured with the CNZ Pirere Award in 2021.