Tusiata Avia

Tusiata Avia is a poet, writer and performer. She has published 6 books of poetry, children’s books, short film, radio documentary. Her iconic play Wild Dogs Under My Skirt showed Off-Broadway in 2020, where it won the Fringe Encore Outstanding Production of the Year. Her most recent play, The Savage Coloniser Show won Best New Play at Wellington Theatre Awards 2024 and became the centre of a political controversy in Aotearoa New Zealand. Tusiata was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to poetry, the Prime Ministers Award for Literary Achievement: Poetry and is currently Writer in Residence at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University, Wellington.