Selina Tusitala Marsh — On being “the first”
Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh is a poet and scholar who is used to being “the first”.
She was the first Pasifika to graduate with a PhD in English from the University of Auckland, where she now works as an associate professor in the English, drama and writing studies department.
She’s also the first Pasifika woman to be appointed New Zealand’s Poet Laureate — an award celebrating outstanding contributions to New Zealand poetry.
Here, the Conversations crew joins Selina for a visit to St Joseph’s School in Ōtāhuhu, to hear her reflections on the responsibilities that come with being “the first”, and the experiences, challenges, and people who have shaped her path and her craft.
Conversations was made with support from NZ On Air. If you’d like to read more about Selina’s life, see Dale Husband’s 2017 kōrero with her here.
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