Across The Sea by Lay Maloney
Over the days from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th of November, I attended the Verb Readers and Writers Festival 2024 in Wellington, Aotearoa. This was made possible with the support of Emerging Writers Festival and Creative Australia.
Melanie Hamilton picked me up from the airport at 1am before the opening night, and this was just the beginning of the kind and people-oriented interactions. Thank you, Mel, for being up that late, and then dropping me off at 4am the following Monday.
I attended as many events as I could fit in, and each of them struck a different chord with me. In all honesty, I prioritised attending Māori-led events during the festival. It wasn’t hard, as Verb did an excellent job with curation and letting Indigenous artists be sovereign in the spaces.
Bebe and I were welcomed with open arms by Māori Mob involved with Verb, as well as the extended community who rocked up to events. The ocean (gaagal/moana) connected us in very deep ways of understanding. From the depths of the sea to the shallow shorelines, migrations of mutton birds, the singing of whales, resilience, community, and the importance of looking after our water and lands wove us all together.
The Poetry with Brownies night exemplified just how much we had in common, including pride in the face of colonial power. Māori poets took the mic, speaking of their love, their pride, their joy, and their fight. Over the weekend, one could not miss the discussions surrounding the Treaty Principles bill – a bill seeking to redo Aotearoa’s founding document between Māori people and British colonisers. It impedes on agreements within the Treaty of Waitangi, which would take rights away from Māori people. These discussions were critical and full of upset, and I listened and learned about the organising and staunchness of Māori resistance. They fight using te Reo Māori and keep culture alive through practice and everyday interactions.
As a First Nations person, being about Māori Mob filled me with hope and admiration. And we came together, in ways I didn’t imagine could be so beautiful, on the night of Poems to End Colonialism during the LitCrawl. I, two Māori storytellers, and two Palestinian poets took the stage by storm. Raging adjectives. Solemn oaths. Nostalgic stanzas. Defiant allegories… An overwhelming love resonated through the room that night. Love for each other as human beings, love for Country, love for language, and a deep love for our children who will inherit everything we have. As Lee Stuart took the microphone and sung a Palestinian song translated into te Reo Māori, everyone stood and sang along. I cried like a baby. When I fell asleep that night, I dreamed of mountains so high, it was impossible to reach the summit, except I was already there.
I also want to shout out to the Buchanan sisters, Rachel and Hana, who acknowledged Bebe’s and my presence and welcomed us by sharing stories. I wove three pairs of earrings with blood-red raffia before going to Aotearoa, intending to give them to new friends I’d make, and I gave one to Hana after she sat outside an event with me to share knowledge. I was feeling overwhelmed inside and needed to breathe, so I waited outside on dodgy bar stools at a rickety table, and Hana appeared. She sat with me, and we exchanged stories. I know now that was meant to happen; we were meant to speak and come together. Soon, we were joined by her partner and Rachel, who added deeply to the conversations. Rachel, next time I see you in Naarm or Aotearoa, I will have earrings for you, too.
Thank you also to my big literary brother, Bebe, for your love and support. I am so grateful to have experienced all of this with you, and I’m sure our paths will crisscross for the rest of our days. Congratulations on the launch of your newest book!
These exchange experiences are not just to share knowledge, no – they are to forge lifelong relationships and shift our worldview to a better position. Through relationships, we learn about and from each other, we care for one another, and we build community in the most magical ways.