| | Tui Pea Luva - 'weave than gift' | |
This week on Episode 142 of the #readswithrosapodcast, I sit down and talanoa with Tongan author Mele Tonga-Grant, who recently released her debut poetry collection ᴛᴜɪ ᴘᴇᴀ ʟᴜᴠᴀ, meaning ‘ᴡᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ɢɪꜰᴛ’.
Born and bred in Te Awa Kairangi, Aotearoa, Mele is passionate about working with the youth. We chat about her writing journey and honoring the stories of the 8 women who inspired her poetry collection, translating picture books into the Tongan language, marching alongside her tamariki in the Toitū Te Tiriti hikoi, the importance of the Māori & Tongan languages in her family, and much more!
Follow Mele: • IG: www.instagram.com/mrstongagrant
Purchase her book:
• Website: www.milasbooks.com
Follow the illustrator of her book:
• IG: www.instagram.com/lucidluca
Follow Rosa:
• @readswithrosa on YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Tiktok
• https://linktr.ee/readswithrosa