1pm–2pm Saturday, 14 November 2026

Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Wellington Central Library

Ngā Pou Ruahine, Level 2

We are delighted to be showcasing our current resident essa may ranapiri with a free public event in the stunning Ngā Pou Ruahine room at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui.

Join us for an afternoon of poetry readings from queer Māori rangatahi writers. Featuring: Aquila Merewitikau, Kōtuku Nuttall, Midden Rahurahu, Ruby Solly, and essa may ranapiri.

About our writers

Aquila Merewitikau is an emerging two-spirit writer of Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi Matakore, W̱SÁNEĆ, and Pākehā descent. Aquila is currently a master’s student at the IIML and is working on a novel that explores being brown, queer, and in your twenties in Pōneke Wellington.

Midden Rahurahu (Ngaati Rahurahu, Ngaati Tahu-Ngaati Whaoa) is a writer who was raised by taangata turi. They were a co-editor of Te Rito o te Harakeke, an anthology of Maaori voices for Ihumaatao and were shortlisted for the Michael Gifkins Prize for Poorhara, their first novel (published in 2024 by Te Herenga Waka University Press). In 2025, Poorhara won the Hubert Church Prize for Best First Book at the Ockham NZ Book Awards.

Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi Matakore, W̱SÁNEĆ – she/they) lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara with her girlfriend and two small dogs. Her first book, Tauhou, received the 2020 Adam Foundation Prize and was shortlisted for the 2024 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Tauhou is published in Aotearoa New Zealand by Te Herenga Waka University Press (2022) and in North America by House of Anansi Press (2023).

essa may ranapiri (Ngaati Raukawa, Ngaati Maniapoto, Te Arawa, Ngaati Awa, Ngaai Tai, Clan Gunn | they/ia) is an uri/thing/person living on the lands of Ngaati Wairere. Kaituhi of ransack (2019), ECHIDNA (2022) and Puke (Te Herenga Waka UP, 2026), they are the current writer-in-residence at Randell Cottage.

Ruby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) is a writer, taonga puoro practitioner, artist, and composer, and also received her PhD in public health for her thesis on the use of taonga puoro within hauora Māori. Her books include Tōku Pāpā (2019) and The Artist (2023), both of which are published with Te Herenga Waka University Press. She has a book, an album, an exhibition, and a cake recipe in the works.

This event is a collaboration between Randell Cottage and the Programming team at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, with especial thanks to Neil Johnstone.