Robyn Bargh
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Robyn Rangihuia Bargh (née Young) is a publisher and a director, council or board member of many organisations in the book industry and other arts-related organisations in New Zealand. Her work has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards including the Women in Publishing New Venture Award (1994), the Te Waka Toi Te Tohu Toi Kē Award (2006) and the Book Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2018), and she was made a
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...
in the
2012 New Year Honours 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
.


Biography

Bargh was brought up on a farm in Horohoro, 15 km south of
Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...
and went to school in Rotorua. Her mother was Hepora Raharuhi and her father was Robert Young, and she grew up as Robyn Young. Bargh is of Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuarā and
Ngāti Awa Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi (tribe) centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. It is made of 22 hapū (subtribes), with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns ...
descent. She trained as a teacher in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
and studied for a Bachelor of Arts at
Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...
, where in 1974 she met her future husband Brian Bargh, then studying for a Master of Agricultural Science. Her career in publishing started in 1980 when she and Brian moved to
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
for several years with their two children and Bargh worked as a researcher and editor at the
University of Papua New Guinea The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...
. When they returned to New Zealand, she worked in editing, publishing and policy jobs in various government departments. In 1991, Bargh and her husband founded
Huia Publishers Huia Publishers (HUIA) is a book publishing company based in Wellington, New Zealand established in 1991. HUIA publish material in Māori language and English for adults and children. HUIA was founded by Robyn Rangihuia Bargh (CNZM) and her ...
with the aim of bringing a Māori perspective to New Zealand literature by encouraging Māori writers and revitalising the Māori language with the publication of Māori language and teaching and learning materials. In 1995, she established the Huia Short Story Awards for Maori Writers (now the Pikihuia Awards). Huia Publishers was named from part of Bargh's own name, Rangihuia.


Boards and directorships

Bargh retired from her management role at Huia Publishers in 2014 but remains on the Board of Directors. She is the Chair of the Māori Literature Trust, Deputy Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara, Director of Te Puia, the
New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) is an indigenous traditional art school located in Rotorua New Zealand. It operates the national schools of three major Māori art forms. NZMACI opened in 1963 as a successor school to ...
(huia), a member of the Victoria University Council and a trustee of the Herewahine Farms Trust. She has also been a member of the Council of the Publishers Association of New Zealand. Robyn was a member of the Establishment Group for Māori Television and a trustee of Te Awhiorangi/Te Reo Māori Television Trust. She has chaired boards of Booksellers New Zealand and the theatre company Taki Rua Productions.


Awards and honours

Bargh's work and achievements have been recognised with a number of awards. These include the Women in Publishing New Venture Award in 1994, the Te Waka Toi Te Tohu Toi Kē Award in 2006 and the Massey University 75th Anniversary Medal for Distinguished Service in 2002. In the New Year Honours List 2012, she was made a Companion of the Order of New Zealand for services to the Māori language and publishing. In August 2018, she received the 2018 Book Industry Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her work as founder and director of Huia Publishers, and her role in continuing leadership in the field of Māori literature.


Bibliography 

* ''Stories on the Four Winds'': ''Ngā Hau e Whā'' (edited by Brian Bargh and Robyn Bargh) (Huia Publishers, 2016)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bargh, Robyn Living people Massey University alumni New Zealand publishers (people) Year of birth missing (living people) Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit Ngāti Awa people