Waiariki Parata-Taiapa represents Ōtepoti in international literary online programme

By Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha | Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature | Posted: Thursday Sep 17, 2026

Waiariki Parata-Taiapa (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Porou) recently represented Ōtepoti in an exciting international literary online programme connecting First Nations writers from Naarm (Melbourne), Wendake (Québec City), Ōtepoti, Seattle and Taipei — creating opportunities for writers to connect across cultures, places and literary traditions.

Curated by First Nations literary organisation Blak & Bright and delivered by the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office, with support from Creative Australia, the project brought participating writers together in monthly virtual writers' rooms. Writers were also paired up for filmed conversations about their work and commissioned to create a new piece inspired by the project's title, Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow, with the freedom to interpret the words in any order, genre or combination.

Waiariki is pāpā to three adventurous young tamariki. His passion lies in bringing pūrākau to life through creative writing, art and waiata, and he loves being able to shape and share mātauraka through the eyes of tamariki. Connecting tākata to whenua and being in our taiao brings our kōrero alive.

He was paired with Naarm-based writer Beau Windon, a Wiradjuri writer known for his quirky, personal storytelling, for a filmed conversation about their pieces.

We're delighted to see Waiariki's mahi featured as part of this international programme, alongside First Nations writers from around the world.

You can watch Waiariki and Beau's conversation and read both their pieces here: www.blakandbright.com.au/today-yesterday-tomorrow/beau-waiariki