Recs if you like Mana...

Disclaimer: I am not Pacific Islander, but we should all strive to read more Pasifika authors!

The grouping of Pasifika and Asian communities has a complex history. And because of this grouping, Pasifika authors are largely underrepresented.

Check out Pacific Islanders in Publishing (I cannot figure out how to hyperlink, sorry) for more recs!

I have not read all of the books on this list, so please let me know if any are not fit for this list!

Suggestions are always welcome!

Nau mai, haere mai, i te Pagebound whaanau! A non-exclusive list of resources for engaging with te ao Maaori (the Maaori world), Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific ocean) and Aotearoa (New Zealand). The people, the history, the language and the culture. Please give your recommendations! These are books I'm aware of from my own wishlist, and many have not been added yet/ haven't been imported yet. Kia kaha te reo Maaori!

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975. It acknowledges and celebrates the Māori language as a unique cultural treasure for all New Zealanders. The 2026 Theme builds on "Ake, Ake, Ake" with "Te Reo Towns. A celebration of the communities who have kept te reo Māori alive, and an invitation for all of Aotearoa to help it flourish into the future." The week commences 14th September NZT.

Audiobooks that are less than 10 hours long and are safe for work AKA not aiming to get your horned up at your desk (no guarantees that you won't cry or get the creeps though). Recommendations welcome!

Whether it be the authors, the characters, the setting, or the country itself, these books are some of the essential reads of Aotearoa New Zealand. Fiction to nonfiction, prose to poetry, the stories of our people and our land are here. This list is ever-growing, and I will continue to add to it as I read more pukapuka from our shores.