Details

Hungus is a bold and immersive poetry collection that blends myth, purakau, pop culture, and science fiction into a powerful work of world-building. Marking the arrival of a striking new voice in Aotearoa literature, Amber Esau creates a shifting, dreamlike universe centred around the Mantis — an elusive, many-faced being as fluid and storied as the moana itself.

At times carrying a machete and microphone, at others a schoolbag full of ice creams or casting shadow puppets over graves, the Mantis moves through stories shaped by addiction, survival, memory, and longing. These poems explore the ways addiction settles into lives and communities, reaching into the spaces of identity, connection, and the va between people.

Rich with urban realities, humour, tenderness, and defiance, Hungus captures the complexities of contemporary Indigenous and Pasifika experiences while celebrating resilience, creativity, and cultural expression. Layered, lyrical, and unapologetically original, this collection pulses with energy and emotional depth.

Key Features:
• Innovative poetry blending mythology, purakau, science fiction, and pop culture
• Explores addiction, identity, community, and survival
• Written from a contemporary SaMaoRish perspective
• Rich, experimental world-building and vivid imagery
• A powerful debut voice in Aotearoa poetry

Product Details:
• Author: Amber Esau
• Format: Soft Cover
• ISBN: 9781776923113

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