‘I was excited by the extraordinary list of names before I even read their wonderful words. Such a variety of ages and ethnicities; poetry, prose, plays, comics – so comprehensive, so inclusive, so cool! When I signed the Homosexual Law Reform petition more than thirty-five years ago, I never dreamed that one day I would be able to marry a woman if I chose, or that a publication like this could possibly exist. It’s the past and the future. It’s a taonga. These writers have claimed their space. Let’s celebrate their voices!’ — Carole Beu, MNZM, The Women’s Bookshop ‘This is an incredibly rich and very contemporary collection of prose and poetry. The writing is diverse, moving and often funny; the authors spark recognition and introduce the reader to new worlds.’ — Chris Brickell, University of Otago

Chris Tse (he/him) was born and raised in Lower Hutt. He studied English literature and film at Victoria University of Wellington, where he also completed an MA in creative writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML). Tse was one of three poets featured in AUP New Poets 4 (2011). His first collection How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes (2014) won the Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry and his second book He’s So MASC was published to critical acclaim in 2018. Emma Barnes (Ngāti Pākehā, they/them) studied at the University of Canterbury and lives in Aro Valley, Wellington. Their poetry has been widely published for more than a decade in journals including Landfall, Turbine | Kapohau, Cordite and Best New Zealand Poems. They are the author of the poetry collection I Am in Bed with You (2021).