Victoria University of Wellington has appointed writer and performer Kasi Valu as its Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence for 2026.
Valu will spend three months at the university’s International Institute of Modern Letters developing Frangipani Thorns, a collection of poems, spoken-word pieces and short stories.
The residency includes a $15,000 stipend and support from a writing mentor.
Valu said the collection could include historical reflections, social media discourse, political satire, community gossip and speculative futures. He also plans to make audio recordings of the work.
“I imagine Frangipani Thorns as a digital constellation of portals,” he said.
“Like a web browser with multiple tabs open at once, each piece offers a different entry point into the world.”
Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Valu trained as an actor at Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts in 2022.
His theatre work has included acting, writing, stage management and producing. He has performed at slam poetry events and the Auckland Writers Festival.
Valu won the E Tū Whānau Spoken Word Competition in 2021 and received a Fale-ship Residency from Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust.
He said he was grateful and humbled to follow the writers who had previously held the residency.
“I also feel privileged, especially now, when residencies for artists across Aotearoa are becoming scarcer,” he said.
“Such opportunities are integral to the development needed for any writer or artist at any phase of their life or career.”
International Institute of Modern Letters director Damien Wilkins said the selection panel was impressed by the fearlessness and energy of Valu’s writing.
“We’re excited to see Kasi’s work develop,” he said.
Wilkins also acknowledged the support of Victoria University of Wellington and Creative New Zealand.
