The National Library is delighted to celebrate National Poetry Day by announcing Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu) of Ōamaru as the New Zealand Poet Laureate for 2025-2025.
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| Robert Sullivan, New Zealand Poet Laureate. Photo supplied. |
Gina Smith, Acting Te Pouhuaki | National Librarian described Robert’s appointment as recognition for a distinctive and important voice of poetry in Aotearoa New Zealand. ‘Robert amplifies Māori and Pacific voices in thoughtful engagement with complex cultural narratives. He has great standing as a poet, teacher and scholar, he holds considerable māna and leads with grace and humility.’
On learning of his appointment as Poet Laureate, Sullivan reflected, ‘I’m very grateful to receive this laureateship. It recognises the continuum of Māori poets who are publishing such rich, vibrant work. There are too many to name all of the Māori poets writing, composing and performing today but they inspire me through seeing our tupuna in their soulful words.
Many poets and writers helped me with my poetry and writing, and especially Maualaivao Albert Wendt, Michele Leggott, Anne Kennedy and Witi Ihimaera, but it’s my mum and dad who did the most. This is such a great boost. I stand on their shoulders, and the shoulders of all our tūpuna, Māori and Pākeha.
I’d like to mention the poets who have passed away who inspired me too, especially Hone Tuwhare, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, and Keri Hulme.’
From its inception as the Te Mata Estate Winery Laureate Award in 1996 through to 2007 the Laureates were Bill Manhire, Hone Tuwhare, Elizabeth Smither, Brian Turner and Jenny Bornholdt. Since 2007, when the National Library took over the appointment of the Poet Laureate, the Laureates have been Michele Leggott, Cilla McQueen, Ian Wedde, Vincent O’Sullivan, CK Stead, Selina Tusitala Marsh, David Eggleton and Chris Tse.
The value of the New Zealand Poet Laureate Award is $150,000 over the three-year period. The Laureate receives $40,000 per year, with the balance held by the National Library to cover the cost of the Laureate’s tokotoko, and to support their travel and participation in literary events.
Biography
Robert was inspired by his schoolteacher in Year 6 (Standard 4) at Onehunga Primary School, Mrs Nair, to write poetry. “She got the class to lie on the school field and write poems about clouds. My cloud poem was about an alligator, and a boy lying in the grass watching it glide by. It made me realise that a poem could take me somewhere else, to another world, and I could write it.”
Robert Sullivan’s nine books of poetry include the bestselling Star Waka (Auckland University Press, 1999), reprinted five times, translated into German (Mana Verlag), and short-listed for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards (2000). His newest collection of poems, the bestselling Hopurangi / Songcatcher: Poems from the Maramataka, was shortlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
His epic, Captain Cook in the Underworld was a finalist in the Poetry Category for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards (2003). It is also an oratorio for the composition by John Psathas, Orpheus in Rarohenga, performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington for the choir’s fiftieth anniversary. Robert’s poem ‘Kawe Reo / Voices Carry’ is installed in bronze in front of the Auckland City Library. His first collection, Jazz Waiata, won the Jessie McKay PEN (NZ) Best First Book Award in 1991.
As an editor, he worked with Maualaivao Albert Wendt and Reina Whaitiri on the groundbreaking anthologies of Polynesian poetry in English, Whetu Moana and Mauri Ola. The first anthology won the Montana New Zealand Book Award for Reference and Anthology (2004). He also edited with Reina Whaitiri the major anthology of Māori poets in English, Puna Wai Kōrero which won the Creative Writing category in the Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards in 2015. His most recent anthology is Koe: An Aotearoa Ecopoetry Anthology edited with Janet Newman (2024).
His poetry appears in numerous literary magazines and journals in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Other awards include The Lauris Edmond Memorial Award for a distinguished contribution to New Zealand Poetry (2022), Distinguished Visiting Writer at the University of Hawaii (2001), and the University of Auckland Literary Fellowship (1998).
As well as poetry, his children’s book of Māori myths and legends, Weaving Earth and Sky, illustrated by Gavin Bishop, listed as a Storylines Notable Non-Fiction Book (2003), won the Non-Fiction category and the New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year (2003).
His graphic novel Maui: Legends of the Outcast, illustrated by Chris Slane, was shortlisted for the LIANZA Russell Clark Medal.
Robert has participated in many writing festivals throughout New Zealand including Kupu: the Māori Writers Festival, the Auckland Writers Festival, Christchurch Word, New Zealand Readers and Writers Week, Wellington’s Verb Festival, Dunedin Writers Festival, Hawke’s Bay Readers and Writers Festival, Northland Writers’ Festival, and Words on Wheels (WoW) in the South Island, and the Honouring Words Indigenous Writers tour of the North Island.
His international festivals include the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Vancouver, Calgary, Mumbai, Honolulu, and Toronto writers’ festivals, and Taipei International Book Exhibition.
He has a PhD in English (supervised by Selina Tusitala Marsh), an MA Hons (supervised by Maualaivao Albert Wendt), and a BA in English and Māori Studies all from the University of Auckland. He also has a Diploma in Library and Information Studies (Victoria University) and a Diploma in Teaching (Waikato University). Robert studied also at Newmarket Primary, Onehunga Primary, Manukau Intermediate (Royal Oak), and Auckland Grammar.
He worked as a librarian at Auckland Public Library, and the University of Auckland Library. He then worked as an academic focusing on creative writing at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Manukau Institute of Technology, and Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa where he is Associate Professor in Creative Writing.
Currently he is President of the New Zealand Poetry Society / Te Rōpū Toikupu o Aotearoa.
Robert belongs to Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu (Ngāti Hau, and Ngāti Manu), and Kai Tahu (Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki), with affiliations to Ngāti Raukawa, and Ngāi Tai. He is also of Irish, Scottish and English descent. He lives in Oāmaru on the coastline known as Te Tai o Āraiteuru.
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