Fijian writer debuts Black Ice Matter
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(L-R)
Brian Morris - Huia Publishers, Gina Cole and Selina Tustiala
Marsh launch
Black Ice Matter
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“I stand proudly behind Black Ice Matter,
and proudly behind Gina Cole,” Selina Tusitala Marsh, one of New
Zealand's foremost Pasifika poets, told guests at the launch
of Gina Cole's debut book, Black
Ice Matter. And as New Zealand's first Pasifika
woman to graduate with a PhD in English, Selina has a bit of
experience with literature.
In the centre of Auckland city at Artspace/Tautai Gallery,
an organisation dedicated to the development of Pacific art and
artists, Gina unveiled her book to a crowded room of family,
friends, teachers and colleagues. Described by award-winning
Pacific author Albert Wendt as "a challenging, compelling
and engaging new author", Gina thanked the room for
battling the Auckland traffic to celebrate with her -
and for buying every book that The Women’s Bookshop had on
hand!
A family lawyer by profession, Gina has been writing for a number
of years with many of her stories being published in publications
such as JAAM and
Takahe, as
well as winning an award at the 2014 Auckland Pride Festival for
a poem she submitted. Black
Ice Matter is the result of the Masters of Creative
Writing programme at the University of Auckland, where she was
encouraged by Selina (her supervisor at the time) to stay true to
her identity.
“I remember telling Selina that I didn’t want to be political in
my writing, I just wanted to be a Fijian, lesbian, woman who
writes,” Gina recounted on Friday. “But she made me realise that
I couldn't avoid being political, that at the very least I have a
responsibility when writing to be aware of the intersection that
I occupy.”
And Black Ice
Matter is a testament to this with thirteen short
stories that centre around the themes of heat and cold - literal,
metaphorical and psychological. Stories such as ‘Tabua’
expose the reader to the deadly impacts on civilians from
military dictatorship in Fiji, ‘Swim, Bike, Run’ allows us a
glimpse into the relationship of two lesbian lovers – both
jealous and insecure - and 'Baby Doll', a story of a child
sweatshop worker who dreams of another life tugs on the
heartstrings of the most stoic reader among us.
Black Ice
Matter is for sale at all good
bookstores.
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Gina
Cole signing copies of her newly launched book.
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