Talking About Our Ancestors - NZ Publication

TALKING ABOUT OUR ANCESTORS: Featured in the Whenua issue of Debate Magazine, over in Auckland, New Zealand. Image courtesy of @debate_mag Instagram.

After studying abroad last year, it was hard not to be inspired by the landscapes and culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

'Talking About Our Ancestors' was written as part of my Creative Writing: Voices module at Auckland University of Technology. It explores ideas of belonging and the connections we have to our ancestral landscapes, drawing upon a conversation I had whilst backpacking in Napier.

The piece is featured in the 'Whenua' issue of Debate Magazine. In Māori culture, whenua means 'land' but also 'placenta' and has a strong significance in understanding identity, ancestry, and connection to the natural land.

You can read 'Talking About Our Ancestors', along with the full issue, over on the Debate Magazine website.

I feel truly honoured to have the piece published over in New Zealand. Thank you to Tashi Donnelly for accepting my pitch and capturing the atmosphere of the piece beautifully in her illustration.

TOUCHING GRASS: The Whenua issue of Debate Magazine, 2025. Photograph courtesy of Sveta Hackett.