Robert Sullivan

Robert Sullivan
2 Feb 2005
Robert Sullivan is a poet who resided in Hawai'i USA 2005 - 2010. He has since returned to Aotearoa.

Robert Sullivan, of Ngati Manu hapu, Ngapuhi Iwi of Northland (North Is.) and Ngai Tahu Iwi of Te Wai Pounamu (South Is.) Aotearoa (NZ). He is also of Galway Irish descent. Robert Sullivan with his wife Anne and their two children, live and work at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa.
Since 1990 he has written four books of poetry published by Auckland University Press (most recently, Captain Cook in the Underworld, which is also a libretto for a composition by John Psathas), a graphic novel illustrated by Chris Slane called Maui: legends of the outcast, and a children's book Weaving earth and sky: myths and legends of Aotearoa (Random House) - which won both Book of the Year and the Non-Fiction Category in the 2003 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. His first book, Jazz Waiata, won the PEN (NZ) Best First Book of Poetry award. He has most recently co-edited with Professor Albert Wendt and Reina Whaitiri an anthology of Polynesian poetry in English, Whetu Moana (AUP and University of Hawaii Press, 2003) which won the Montana NZ Book Award in the reference and anthology category.
In 1998 he was the Literary Fellow at the University of Auckland, and in 2001 the Distinguished Visiting Writer at the University of Hawai'i. His next book of poetry, Voice Carried My Family, is forthcoming from AUP in 2005. This year he is a fiction judge for the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize worth US$15,000 based in San Francisco. Robert is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where he teaches creative writing and Pacific literature. He is working on a novel and a screenplay.

Hawaii Trip 1 – 11 April 2010
The Bay of Islands College Maori department took a group of 20 students and adults on a 10 day culture experience to Hawaii USA. Amongst the group were Ngati Manu tamariki, Misty-Blue Ngere, Jonty Hooson, Sammy Cooper and adults Annette Wynyard (organizer) and Steve Hancy. While there, they met up with Robert Sullivan and were delighted when he, his wife and children joined them for dinner on their last night. Robert recited a poem called Karakia and presented the group with the signed book ‘Shout Ha To The Sky’ which was a very special moment. The group has returned with many stories and photographs of their wonderful adventures.

Sitting in front of the Karetu Marae
Ngati Manu's flag hugs the staff.
Ping pong in the dining hall.
The sun spills light over the hills across
the creek. A horse flicks its tail.
The door to Grandad's house is shut.
Ten goats nuzzle on a higher hill.
A dog rolls in front belly up.
This day fills us: slow breeze in a cloth.
The Unveiling
Nanny Bella's unveiling is today.
We walk along the dusty road, bend
between the fence wires at the foot of the
cemetery hill, and climb up. Some of us drive the distance.
It's a clear hot day.
The priest unveils the stone with a simple hymn and ceremony.
It looks beautiful.
Nanny's photo looks up at me. I think of the way she used to say my brother's name, so happy and loud, I cry.
All the whanau touch her grave out of respect.
Once she was my only Nanny. I turn around.
Someone talks to me about Karetu, 'it's quite an ugly valley really, but it's special'.
Ugly? I think. I wash my hands at the tap
by the cemetery gate. Then I walk away.

Page last updated 12 Jan 2011