Kelly Haitana was born in Raetihi and was educated at Raetihi Primary School, Solway College and Wanganui Technical Institute. She writes poetry and children’s short stories; she was awarded third prize in the prose section of the PEN Young Writers’ Competition in 1978. She was awarded second and third places in the Māori and Pacific Island Short Story Competition in 1990. Kelly has had stories broadcast on the now defunct Continuing Education Programme which was produced by Radio New Zealand. Recently National Radio accepted two of her poems for broadcasting. She has written stories for the New Zealand Police’s Law Related Education Programmes. She writes under the name Kelly Haitana. She has passed Grades 1-7 of Trinity College for Speech and Drama.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Kelly Haitana-Mundy, 28 Nov., 1992.
Children's literature
- "Luncheon and Chutney." School Journal 4.3 (1985): 9-12.
- Macey and Joe grapple with their self-conscious attraction to each other.
- "Holidays." School Journal 3.1 (1986): 11-16.
- An account of a train trip from the National Park Railway Station down to Wellington.
- "Late Home." School Journal 3.3 (1986): 2-7.
- Motu experiences the brunt of his parents’ displeasure when he is late home from school.
- "The Washing." School Journal 3.3 (1988): 22-25.
- The young narrator reflects on motherhood while feeding the baby lambs, talking to the ducklings and gathering in wet washing.
- "The Mindreader." Illustrations by Deidre Gardiner. School Journal 4.2 (1988): 30-33. 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. 268-270.
- Kelly is intrigued by his mother’s apparent mindreading facility.
- "Eeling." School Journal 2.4 (1990): 10-19. 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. 87-89.
- When Iwa, Nicky and Whetu go on an eeling excursion, they catch the huge eel that is famous in the district and mysteriously decide to let it go.
- "Sweet As." Illus. Murray Grimsdale. School Journal 3.3 (1990): 54-60.
- Tui recalls the family’s excitement when her older brother Charles returned home to visit. With each visit, Tui’s other brother Hira would mimic the latest hairstyle or expression introduced by Charles.
- "Rain." School Journal 2.2 (1991): 40-48. 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. 159-161.
- In this story, Tai, the young narrator, faces his anger and resentment and mourns the loss of his mother who has moved to Australia with her boyfriend.
- "Smoke." School Journal 2.3 (1994): 10-16.
- A story focusing on teenage peer group pressure to smoke cigarettes.
- "Mahi Tuna." Māori translation by Mange Tautari of Haitana’s story entitled "Eeling". 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. 84-86.
Fiction
- "Auahi." Nā Kelly Haitana. Nā Jennifer Lautusi ngā pikitia. Te Tautoko 32: Tihei Mauriora. Te Whanganui ā Tara: I whakaputaina ténei pukapuka mō Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga e Te Pou Taki Kōrero Whaiti, 1997. 8-14.
Poetry
- "Snow." Don’t Let the Tide Roll In: An Anthology of Recent Poems by New Zealand School Pupils (Sixth Series). Comp. and ed. Helen M. Hogan Christchurch, N.Z.: Whitcoulls, 1978. 50.
- A portrayal of different responses to snow.
- "Winter." Don’t Let the Tide Roll In: An Anthology of Recent Poems by New Zealand School Pupils (Sixth Series). Comp. and ed. Helen M. Hogan Christchurch, N.Z.: Whitcoulls, 1978. 52.
- The poet writes of the lifeless, sombre environment of winter.