Huia Publishers

Huia Publishers is a New Zealand publishing company established in Wellington in 1991 by Robyn Rangihuia Bargh and Brian Bargh. It was created in response to a perceived shortage of publishing that presented Māori stories through Māori perspectives and supported Māori authors. The company’s publishing programme spans both Māori and English, including bilingual and Māori-language works, and serves adult, young-adult, and children’s audiences. Huia’s catalogue includes graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, novels, and educational or cultural resources. A significant part of its role is supporting Māori-language education, including resources for kura kaupapa Māori, the Māori-medium schooling movement. Its books also contribute to the wider preservation, normalization, and public use of te reo Māori by making Māori-language material available in commercial and literary formats. The company operates at the intersection of trade publishing, Indigenous cultural publishing, children’s literature, and language revitalization. Rather than treating Māori content as a niche subject within a general publishing list, Huia was founded around the principle that Māori authorship, worldview, language, and cultural authority should shape the publishing process and the resulting books. This has made the company an important platform for Māori writers and illustrators and a visible participant in New Zealand’s literary sector. Huia has also supported writer development beyond its own list. Together with the Māori Literature Trust, it has run the Te Papa Tupu programme, which helps Māori writers develop their craft and progress toward publication. The company’s influence was recognized when co-founder Robyn Bargh received the inaugural Te Tohu Toi Kē from Te Waka Toi, Creative New Zealand’s Māori arts advisory body, in 2006 for her contribution to the literary sector. In 2022, the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival presented Thirty Years of HUIA, bringing together co-founder Robyn Bargh and then-directors Eboni Waitere and Brian Morris to mark the publisher’s three decades of activity. Huia was also a finalist for the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year in 2022 and won the prize in 2024. These recognitions reflect the company’s standing not only in New Zealand but also within the international children’s publishing community.

Huia Publishers was established in Wellington in 1991 by Robyn Rangihuia Bargh and Brian Bargh. Its formation responded to a lack of publishers committed to Māori stories told from Māori viewpoints. From the beginning, the company’s identity was connected not only with language but also with cultural authority: Māori writers, perspectives, and experiences were positioned as central to the publishing programme rather than as occasional additions to a mainstream list. Huia publishes in both te reo Māori and English, including bilingual works. Its list covers adults and children and has included graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, novels, and resources for kura kaupapa Māori. This breadth allows the company to operate across literary, educational, and cultural publishing. Its Māori-medium resources are particularly relevant to the development of reading material for schools and communities using Māori as a language of instruction. The publisher has also participated in the development of Māori literary talent. In partnership with the Māori Literature Trust, Huia has run Te Papa Tupu, a programme designed to help Māori writers strengthen their skills. This activity extends the company’s role from selecting and producing books to helping create the conditions in which new Māori literature can emerge. Huia’s contribution received formal recognition in 2006, when Robyn Bargh received the inaugural Te Tohu Toi Kē award from Te Waka Toi, Creative New Zealand’s Māori arts advisory body. The award recognized her contribution to making a difference in the literary sector. In 2022, the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival marked the company’s thirtieth anniversary with an event titled Thirty Years of HUIA. The programme included Bargh and the then-directors Eboni Waitere and Brian Morris, highlighting both the publisher’s longevity and its continuing institutional importance. Huia’s reputation has also extended into international children’s publishing. It was a finalist for the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year in 2022 and won the award in 2024. The recognition reflects the distinctiveness of its children’s list and the international relevance of publishing that supports Indigenous language, identity, and storytelling. Huia remains associated with Māori-focused publishing in New Zealand, although publicly available reference material does not establish detailed information about its current ownership, corporate structure, revenue, or present executive team.

• 2024

  Bologna Prize win

  [1]Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org

  Huia wins the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year.

• 2022

  Thirty Years of HUIA

  [1]Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org

  The Aotearoa New Zealand Festival presents a thirtieth-anniversary event with Robyn Bargh and then-directors Eboni Waitere and Brian Morris.

• 2022

  Bologna Prize finalist

  [1]Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org

  Huia becomes a finalist for the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year.

• 2006

  Robyn Bargh receives Te Tohu Toi Kē

  [1]Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org

  Co-founder Robyn Bargh receives the inaugural Te Tohu Toi Kē award from Te Waka Toi for making a difference in New Zealand’s literary sector.

• 1991

  Huia Publishers is founded

  [1]Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org

  Robyn Rangihuia Bargh and Brian Bargh establish Huia Publishers in Wellington to address the limited availability of publishing centered on Māori stories and Māori worldviews.

Indigenous and Māori-focused literary, children's, and educational publishing

• Language and cultural publishing · 1991

  Māori-language and bilingual books

  Huia publishes books in te reo Māori, English, and bilingual formats. These works support Māori-language visibility while making Māori stories and cultural perspectives accessible to readers with different levels of fluency. The list reflects the publisher’s founding purpose of giving Māori authors and Māori worldviews a stronger place in New Zealand publishing.

• Children's publishing

  Children's and young-adult books

  The children’s programme includes picture books, chapter books, and other reading for younger audiences. It presents Māori characters, settings, language, and cultural knowledge for children in New Zealand and contributes to a broader international understanding of Indigenous children’s publishing.

• Fiction and literary publishing

  Graphic novels and novels

  Huia’s fiction and illustrated list includes graphic novels and novels for adult and younger readers. These formats allow Māori authors and creators to explore contemporary and historical experiences through prose and visual storytelling while maintaining the publisher’s emphasis on Māori perspectives.

• Educational publishing

  Kura kaupapa Māori resources

  Huia produces resources for kura kaupapa Māori and other Māori-medium learning contexts. The materials support reading and teaching in te reo Māori and help address the need for educational content aligned with Māori language, culture, and educational settings.

• Te Papa Tupu

  New Zealand

  Huia and the Māori Literature Trust have run Te Papa Tupu, a writer-development programme intended to help Māori writers develop their skills and progress within the literary field.

  Outcome. The programme strengthened Huia’s role in developing Māori literary talent, although the available reference material does not provide participant totals or detailed programme outcomes.

  Source

1. 1Huia Publishersen.wikipedia.org