Karlo Mila
Karlo Mila is a New Zealand poet. She is of Tongan, Palangi (Palagi) and Samoan heritage, and educated at Massey University in Palmerston North. Her first award was the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry at the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards, for Dream Fish Floating.[1] She then went on to contribute to anthologies such as Whetu Moana (Auckland University Press, 2003), Niu Voices (Huia Publishers, 2006), and Short Fuse: The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry (Rattapallax Press, 2002).[2] She has had her second book published, A Well Written Body (Huia, 2008), in collaboration with German-born artist Delicia Sampero.[1]
Mila says she has been writing poetry since standard three.[3] Her work has been described as "poetry [that] speaks to the soul". Her creative-style includes many references to her cultural roots including the broader Pacific, political issues, and love. She is also interested in the idea of literary whakapapa (genealogy), dedicating entire sections to it - "Chanting Back To The Bones" and "Tuakana" - in Dream Fish Floating. Currently[when?], she is completing her PhD in Sociology at Massey University, after being based in Auckland for 10 years.[4]
In 2016 she was awarded the Contemporary Pacific Art Award at the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifka Awards.[5]
References
- ^ a b Samdog Design Ltd. "New Zealand Book Council". Bookcouncil.org.nz. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ [1] Archived June 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Huia Publishers - Maori, Pacific, New Zealand books". Huia.co.nz. 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ Nicky Pellegrino (18 July 2008). "Thirtysomething love poetry". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "Arts Pasifika Awards". Creative New Zealand. Retrieved 1 December 2017.