Dr Darryn Joseph: 2024 Established Maori Writers Residency

Darryn (Ngati Maniapoto) is a Palmerston North-based academic, writer and papa of three. He has written in te reo Maori short stories, board books, picture books, chapter books, and textbooks. Darryn holds a PhD written in te reo from Massey University and his doctoral dissertation on kipeha, figures of speech, helped inform his early works. Hewa (2009) won the Te Kura Pounamu Award at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards, and 'Tama Tahae Tama Ora' (2003) and 'Taku Ao, To Mate Kanehe' (2015) both won the Pikihuia Award Best Short Story in Maori. Darryn's picturebook Whakarongo ki o Tupuna with illustrator Munro Te Whata won first equal in the 2020 New Zealand Society of Authors Heritage Book Awards.

In recent years Darryn has worked with multiple Maori authors, editors and their publishers and given reo guidance and reo Maori editorial advice where needed: Paula Morris and Auckland University Press, Hiwa: Contemporary Maori Short Stories; Gavin Bishop and Gecko Press E Hoa; Airana Ngarewa and Moa Press Patea Boys; Hona Black and Oratia He Iti te Kupu Maori Metaphors and Similes; Hinemoa Elder and Penguin Waitohu. Working with Keri Opai, he translated Donovan Bixley's Maui picture books and has since translated Donovan's Ki te Moe Aotearoa, Te Ra Kura ki Aotearoa and Kia Ora Pepi.

Darryn, or Takuta Hohepa, his pen name from 20 years ago, is working on the fourth instalment in the sci-fi series Rangi Tautoru - RT3: Ki Tua o Rangiatea (2004), RT3: Ki Tua o K-t-Pae (2005), and RT3: Ki Tua o Tawauwau (2006).

Darryn is currently the Vice Chair of NZ Read Te Pou Muramura, and was a trustee for five years on Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa. He has been a judge for the Storylines Kahurangi Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira Literary Award for five years. Darryn also has proudly worked as the Maori editor with Toitoi - A Journal For Young Writers and Artists since 2017.