Karlo Mila
Encyclopedia
Karlo Mila is a New Zealand
poet. She is of Tongan, Palangi (Palagi) and Samoan heritage, and educated at Massey University
in Palmerston North
. Her first award was the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry at the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards
, for Dream Fish Floating. She then went on to contribute to impressive anthologies such as Whetu Moana (Auckland University Press, 2003), Niu Voices (Huia Publishers, 2006), and Short Fuse: The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry (Rattapallax Press, 2002). She has had her second book published, A Well Written Body (Huia, 2008), in collaboration with German-born artist Delicia Sampero.
Mila says she has been writing poetry since standard three. Her work has been described as "poetry [that] speaks to the soul". Her creative-style includes many references to her cultural roots including the broader Pacific, political issues, and love. She is also interested in the idea of literary whakapapa (genealogy), dedicating entire sections to it - 'Chanting Back To The Bones' and 'Tuakana' - in Dream Fish Floating. Currently, she is completing her PhD in Sociology at Massey University, after being based in Auckland for 10 years.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
poet. She is of Tongan, Palangi (Palagi) and Samoan heritage, and educated at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
. Her first award was the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry at the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards
Montana New Zealand Book Awards
The New Zealand Post Book Awards are a series of literary awards to works of New Zealand citizens. They were created in 1996, as a merge of the two previously most relevant awards in New Zealand: the Montana Book Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards...
, for Dream Fish Floating. She then went on to contribute to impressive anthologies such as Whetu Moana (Auckland University Press, 2003), Niu Voices (Huia Publishers, 2006), and Short Fuse: The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry (Rattapallax Press, 2002). She has had her second book published, A Well Written Body (Huia, 2008), in collaboration with German-born artist Delicia Sampero.
Mila says she has been writing poetry since standard three. Her work has been described as "poetry [that] speaks to the soul". Her creative-style includes many references to her cultural roots including the broader Pacific, political issues, and love. She is also interested in the idea of literary whakapapa (genealogy), dedicating entire sections to it - 'Chanting Back To The Bones' and 'Tuakana' - in Dream Fish Floating. Currently, she is completing her PhD in Sociology at Massey University, after being based in Auckland for 10 years.