(un)Bite Your Tongue

Stacey Morrison (Te Arawa, Ngai Tahu) is a radio and TV broadcaster whose projects have spanned 25 years. She is also a mama to three young tamariki who have been brought up with te reo Maori as their mother tongue. Stacey herself didn't learn to speak Maori until she was an adult. It required a lot of research, determination, wonderful mentors and the support of a community to achieve her goal of becoming fluent by the time her children were born. Stacey and her husband Scotty co-wrote Maori at Home to help other families use te reo in everyday settings, and Stacey's first children's book, My First Words in Maori, became a number-one bestseller. Both Stacey and Scotty work with many groups and families to build Maori-language friendships and community for whanau. Stacey has also been an advisor on pre-schooler and children's TV shows, which, along with her experiences with her own children, has helped her identify the words children pick up early in their language learning. As a winner of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori Champion Award in 2016, and the winner of Waipunarangi - Te Reo and Tikanga Award 2021, as well as a graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo (the Institute of Excellence in Maori Language), Stacey loves encouraging the learning and use of Aotearoa's beautiful native language.

Anahera Gildea (Ngāti Tukorehe) is a poet, essayist, and ‘artivist’. Her work has appeared in multiple journals and anthologies, and her first book was published by Seraph Press in 2016. She has worked extensively as a visual artist, performing artist, writer and teacher. Her doctoral research is focused on developing critical literary theory based on Māori intellectual traditions and on nourishing the soil of Māori literature ahakoa te aha.