Frequently asked questions


  1. I am a published Maori writer – why am I not in Kōmako?

    When we began creating Kōmako as a website we stopped adding new publications and authors to the bibliography simply so that there was one body of information that could be utilised by the web developer as the foundation of the website bibliography.

    However, one of the underlying reasons for creating a website as opposed to publishing a print version of the bibliography, was so new writers and updated details of writers already in the bibliography could be added in freely. Now that the bibliography has been launched as a website new additions can be included and we welcome any Māori writer to email us if they have been omitted or have new details to add to their entry.

  2. What are the criteria for inclusion?

    Any published writer of Māori descent – ie who has Māori ancestry can be included. By published we mean anything in a print medium that is accessible to the public through some form of publication. Other media are also included – such as internet publications.

  3. I’ve spotted some errors – how will they be corrected?

    This is a living document – constantly being added to and amended. We apologise for all errors and welcome your corrections. Email us if you see any errors and our editorial team will make the necessary corrections.

  4. My entry is out of date – will it be updated?

    Yes. Our goal is to continue to update entries and we hope all the writers will help by filling in the update forms for their entries and emailing them off to us periodically.

  5. Why is this a bibliography of Māori writing in English and not English and Māori?

    In its early stages this bibliography included descriptive annotations. Bridget Underhill, the compiler of this bibliography, felt her level of te reo Māori was not sufficiently advanced to do justice to the Māori language material. Having said that, a number of the writers, have bi-lingual publications, or English and Māori published works and in these instances all their published work has been included.

  6. How did you get permission to include the writers in this bibliography?

    Initially the original members of Toi Māori’s Te Ha Māori Writers committee endorsed and supported Bridget Underhill in this project and gave her their blessing to embark on this project. And the University of Canterbury’s English Department supported this project as it became the topic for Bridget’s PhD thesis. Subsequently, hundreds of letters, questionnaires and emails have been sent out asking writers or their whanau (in the case of deceased writers) for permission for inclusion and most have responded giving permission. However, some writers’s contact details have never be found even after exhaustive searches. Our apologies to all writers who find themselves in the bibliography but were not asked…please write to us – we’d love to make contact with you and ask your permission properly.

  7. Why are some Māori writers I’d expect to see in the bibliography not included?

    In some very rare cases a few have opted not to be included for different reasons such as:

    1. One or two felt writing was not their primary focus.
    2. Others felt their body of work was so small they didn’t want to be included.
    3. A couple of people thought the distinction of 'Māori writer' was not a useful category in this era.
    We respect their views and accept their right not to be included.

    We would suggest, however, that this bibliography is not about whether someone feels writing is their primary focus or not, or whether their body of work is large or small, its about gathering together the great treasury of writing by Māori….and each piece of published work adds to that treasury.

  8. Private and public knowledge…..how have you respected that?

    The bulk of the material in this bibliography has been published and is already in the public arena and can be found in libraries up and down Aotearoa New Zealand. Other aspects have been provided by the writers themselves.

  9. How do I cite the Kōmako bibliography?

    To cite an author's biographical note, please use the following format:

    "Patricia Grace." Kōmako: a Bibliography of Writing by Māori in English. Ed. Bridget Underhill. 22 Oct. 2017, www.komako.org.nz/person/236.

    To cite a publication entry annotation, please use the following style:

    "Annotation to 'Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street'". Kōmako: a Bibliography of Writing by Māori in English Ed. Bridget Underhill. 22 Oct. 2017, www.komako.org.nz/publication/5077.

    Please replace the date in the citation with the actual date accessed.

  10. What are the copyright protocols for Kōmako? Is there a cost to using any of the information?

    All text licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence unless otherwise stated. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. © Bridget Underhill 2018.