Te Herenga Waka University Press or THWUP (formerly Victoria University Press) is the book publishing arm of

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

, located in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, New Zealand. As of 2022, the press had published around 800 books.

History

Victoria University Press was founded in the early 1970s, with a single staff member.

Fergus Barrowman Fergus Barrowman (born 1961) is a New Zealand publisher and literary commentator. He has been the publisher at Victoria University Press since 1985. Career In addition to running Victoria University Press, Barrowman also edited and published t ...

joined it in 1985 as publisher and remains in charge of the press. By 2005 the staff had grown to four and the press was publishing on average 15 titles a year. By 2011 this had grown to 25 titles annually, including six or seven poetry books. In 2019, Victoria University adopted the Māori name Te Herenga Waka ("the mooring place of canoes"), which previously just referred to the university

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

. To align with the university's name, the press changed its name as of 1 January 2022 to Te Herenga Waka University Press. It adopted a new logo, designed by Philip Kelly and

Rangi Kipa Rangi Kipa (born 1966) is a New Zealand sculptor, carver, illustrator and tā moko (traditional Māori tattoo) artist. Education Kipa is a graduate of the Maraeroa Carving School in Porirua (1986), and completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences at ...

, which uses the initials THW to evoke a whare whakairo (carved meeting house).

Publications

THWUP is a scholarly publisher specialising in New Zealand history and public affairs. It is also a significant publisher of New Zealand literary fiction and poetry. Its highlights include the novel ''

The Luminaries ''The Luminaries'' is a 2013 novel by Eleanor Catton. Set in New Zealand's South Island in 1866, the novel follows Walter Moody, a prospector who travels to the West Coast settlement of Hokitika to make his fortune on the goldfields. Instead ...

'' by

Eleanor Catton Eleanor Catton (born 24 September 1985) is a New Zealand novelist and screenwriter. Born in Canada, Catton moved to New Zealand as a child and grew up in Christchurch. She completed a master's degree in creative writing at the International In ...

(2013

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

winner), Elizabeth Knox's '' The Absolute Book,'' poet

Hera Lindsay Bird Hera Lindsay Bird (born 31 December 1987) is a New Zealand poet. Life and career Hera Lindsay Bird was born and raised in Thames in the North Island of New Zealand. She attended Victoria University of Wellington and then received her Master's d ...

's bestselling debut ''Hera Lindsay Bird'', and the poet

Tayi Tibble Tayi Tibble (born 1995) is a New Zealand poet. Her poetry reflects Māori culture and her own family history. Her first collection of poetry, ''Poūkahangatus'' (2018), received the Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand B ...

. It has a backlist of over 400 books in print, and issues 32 new titles a year on average. THWUP publishes vital work in

New Zealand history The history of New Zealand ( Aotearoa) dates back to between 1320 and 1350 CE, when the main settlement period started, after it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture. Like other Pacific cultures, M� ...

. The history list, particularly social history, is viewed in broad, culturally diverse, and interdisciplinary terms, embracing studies of New Zealand's past and present and how these may shape the future. Books on Māori topics include important collections of writings in Māori by major figures such as

Hirini Moko Mead Sir "Sidney" Hirini Moko Haerewa Mead (born 8 January 1927) is a New Zealand anthropologist, historian, artist, teacher, writer and prominent Māori leader. Initially training as a teacher and artist, Mead taught in many schools in the East C ...

and

Āpirana Ngata Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (3 July 1874 – 14 July 1950) was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work ...

, as well as Dame Joan Metge's widely read books on contemporary Māori society and cross-cultural communication. The press receives funding from Victoria University, which publisher Fergus Barrowman notes is extremely useful: "If we were independent with no funds at all it would be extremely hard. I don't know how some of New Zealand's independent publishers manage to do the books they do. University support is crucial for us. One of the great things is we can take commercial risks, like first books and short stories."

Notable authors

THWUP has published works of many of New Zealand's strongest and most vibrant poets, including: *

Fleur Adcock Fleur Adcock (born 10 February 1934) is a New Zealand poet and editor, of English and Northern Irish ancestry, who has lived much of her life in England. She is well-represented in New Zealand poetry anthologies, was awarded an honorary doc ...

Tusiata Avia Donna Tusiata Avia (born 1966) is a New Zealand poet and children's author. Background Avia was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father is Samoan and her mother is Palagi (New Zealand European). Avia graduated from the Univ ...

Hinemoana Baker Hinemoana Baker (born 1968) is a New Zealand poet, musician and recording artist, teacher of creative writing and broadcaster. Biography Baker was born in Christchurch in 1968 and grew up in Whakatane and Nelson, and descends from the Ngā ...

Jenny Bornholdt Jennifer Mary Bornholdt (born 1 November 1960) is a New Zealand poet and anthologist. Biography Born in Lower Hutt, Bornholdt received a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism. She studied poetry with Bill Manhire ...

*James Brown *

Kate Camp Kate Camp (born 1972) is a New Zealand poet and author who currently resides in Wellington. Early life and education Camp was born in 1972 in Wellington, New Zealand. She has a BA in English from the Victoria University of Wellington. Career ...

*Geoff Cochrane *

Dinah Hawken Dinah Hawken (born 1943) is a New Zealand poet, creative writing teacher, physiotherapist, counsellor and social worker. Life and career Hawken was born in Hāwera in 1943 and is a trained physiotherapist, psychotherapist and social worker. S ...

Bill Manhire William Manhire (born 27 December 1946) is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, emeritus professor, and New Zealand's inaugural New Zealand Poet Laureate, Poet Laureate (1997–1998). He founded New Zealand's first creative writing course at ...

(inaugural NZ Poet Laureate) * Vincent O'Sullivan *

* Brian Turner *

Ashleigh Young Ashleigh Young (born 1983) is a poet, essayist, editor and creative writing teacher. She received the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize in 2017 for her second book, a collection of personal essays titled ''Can You Tolerate This?'' which also won ...

THWUP has also published foremost writers such as: *

Pip Adam Pip Adam is a novelist, short story writer, and reviewer from New Zealand. Background Adam was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. She attended the New Zealand Film and Television School in Christchurch before moving to Dunedin. Adam has an MA ...

* Barbara Anderson *

(2013 Man Booker prize winner) * Catherine Chidgey *

Bernadette Hall Bernadette Hall (born 1945) is a New Zealand playwright and poet. Biography Hall was born in 1945 in Alexandra, New Zealand. She was raised in what she describes as "a small-city Catholic community that was proud, theatrical and pretty much e ...

Elizabeth Knox Elizabeth Fiona Knox (born 15 February 1959) is a New Zealand writer. She has authored several novels for both adults and teenagers, autobiographical novellas, and a collection of essays. One of her best-known works is ''The Vintner's Luck'' ( ...

Bruce Mason Bruce Edward George Mason (28 September 1921 – 31 December 1982) was a significant playwright in New Zealand who wrote 34 plays and influenced the cultural landscape of the country through his contribution to theatre. In 1980, he was appoi ...

Tracey Slaughter Tracey Slaughter (born 1972) is a New Zealand writer and poet. Life Slaughter was born in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, and lived there until she was 10 years old, when her family moved to the Coromandel Peninsula. She studied at the Universit ...

* Damien Wilkins

Book series

Book series published by the press have included: * New Zealand Playscripts * THW Classics * Victoria University of Wellington Inaugural Addresses * VUP ClassicsVUP Classics
worldcat.org. Retrieved 18 July 2022.

Awards

Books published by THWUP have won numerous

Ockham New Zealand Book Awards The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder W ...

such as: *

Airini Beautrais Airini Jane Beautrais (born 1982) is a poet and short-story writer from New Zealand. Background Beautrais was born in 1982 and grew up in Auckland and Whanganui. She studied creative writing and ecological science at the Victoria University o ...

, ''Bug Week'' (2021 Jann Medlicott Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction) *

, ''The Savage Coloniser Book'' (2021 Mary and Peter Biggs Prize for Poetry) * Madison Hamill, ''Specimen'' (2021 EH McCormick Prize for General Non-fiction) *

Shayne Carter Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012). Carter is a member of the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the ...

, ''Dead People I Have Known'' (2020 General Non-fiction Award winner and Best First Book of Non-fiction Award winner) *

Helen Heath Helen Heath (born 1970) is a poet from New Zealand. Background Heath is based in Wellington, New Zealand. She received her MA and PhD in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters, at the Victoria University of Wellin ...

, Are Friends Electric? (2019 Mary and Peter Biggs Prize for Poetry) *

, ''The New Animals'' (2018 Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction) * Catherine Chidgey, ''The Wish Child'' (2017 Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction) *

, ''Can You Tolerate This?'' (2017 General Non-fiction Award winner) * Andrew Johnston, Fits and Starts (2017 Poetry Award winner) *

Annaleese Jochems Annaleese Jochems (born 1994) is a New Zealand author and bookseller. Her debut novel ''Baby'' (2017) won the Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing and the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Award ...

, ''Baby'' (2017 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction) * David Coventry, ''The Invisible Mile'' (2016 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction) *

, ''The Luminaries'' (2014 Fiction Prize) * Amy Head, ''Tough'' (2014 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction) * Lawrence Patchett, ''I Got His Blood on Me'' (2013 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction) *

, ''Everything We Hoped For'' (2011 Hubert Church Prize for Fiction) *

, ''The Mirror of Simple Annihilated Souls'' (2011 Poetry Award winner) * Brian Turner, ''Just This'' (2010 Poetry Award winner) * Anna Taylor, ''Relief'' (2010 NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book of Fiction Award Winner) *

, ''The Rocky Shore'' (2009 Poetry category winner) *

Richard Boast Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

, ''Buying the Land, Selling the Land'' (2009 History category winner) *

, ''The Rehearsal'' (2009 NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction)

References

External links

Te Herenga Waka University Press
- official website {{Authority control Book publishing companies of New Zealand University presses of New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington Publishing companies established in the 1970s Mass media in Wellington