Evelyn Tuuta was born in Waitangi in the Chatham Islands and was educated at Te Kairakau Primary School in the Chathams and at Te Wai Pounamu College and Avonside Girls’ High School in Christchurch. She continued her studies at Christchurch Teachers’ College, Massey University and Victoria University and completed an MBA from Massey. She is a Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commissioner and is Managing Director of a fishing company. She began writing in the 1980s; she writes short stories and children’s stories. She is currently working on three novels. Tuuta is developing business opportunities with her daughters in Europe. She has written under the name Evelyn Erueti.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Evelyn Tuuta: 15 Feb. and 30 Aug. 1998.
- Short Stories From New Zealand, Ed. Alistair Paterson. Petone, N.Z.: Highgate/Pric Milburn, 1988.
Children's literature
- "Icecream." Dog Talk. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Education, 1988. Rpt. in The Ears Storybook: New Zealand Stories to Read Aloud. Selected by Prue Langbein and Wendy Harrex. Northshore, Glenfield, Auckland, N.Z.: Black Cat Books, Random Century NZ Ltd, 1991. 66-67. Rpt. in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 32-33.
- A story about Waimaria’s imaginings of ice-cream and the relationship with her parents.
- "Saturday Visitors." Illus. Penny Newman. School Journal 1.3 (1989): 6-12. Rpt. in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 169-171.
- Mitai and his Nanny prepare for the visit of the extended family.
- "Ema’s Turn." School Journal 3.2 (1988): 8-15. Rpt in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 187-190.
- Tuuta writes that this is a ‘story about how a child copes with the trauma of going to hospital for operation.’
Fiction
- "The Beautiful Blue Dress." Penned Up: Stories and Poems. Ed. Evelyn Erueti, Lin Ferguson, Philippa Moylan and Mick Roberts. Introd. Frances Cherry. Wellington, N.Z.: [Printed by Thompson Print], 1986. 38-39. Rpt. in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 80-81.
- A poignant story of Te Amo’s brief encounter with a dress which made her feel beautiful.
- "Afternoon Tea with the Governor." Short Stories From New Zealand. Ed. Alistair Paterson. Petone, N.Z.: Highgate/Price Milburn, 1988. 131-138.
- Mahine’s first trip to Government House is fraught with excitement and anxiety as she and other League members travel down to Wellington. Out of nothing she created her own world and to her astonishment ends up meeting the Governor-General himself, Ta Paora, Paul Reeves.
- "Ngā Manuhiri o te Rāhoroi." Trans. Nepia Mahuika. Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 167-169.
- ‘A story about a special relationship between a boy who gets blamed for everything and the total unconditional love of his grandmother.’
Sound recordings
- Saturday’s Visitors: Nga Manuhiri O Te Rahoroi. Wellington, N.Z.: Learning Media, 1991.