Olivia Aroha Giles

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Olivia Aroha Giles is a contemporary New Zealand Māori creative, specialising in art textiles, design, illustration and writing. She descends from Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Ati Awa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Atihaunui-ā-Paparangi and Ngāti Kuia Iwi, as well as of Scottish and English descent. In 2010 Olivia graduated from Whitireia New Zealand with a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Textiles.

More recently however, Olivia decided to dedicate more time and focus on her passion for writing. She released her first book in 2006 through Learning Media titled 'My two homes'. This popular children's book has been distributed through a variety of New Zealand Primary schools and was also re-released in 2008 as an Audiobook.^[1]

Olivia was also short listed for Huia Publishers prestigious 'Pikihuia Short Story Awards' and was also published in their collection of 18 finalist. Her short story titled; 'Stepping outside the boxing' was a stand out piece in the collection.^[2][3]

In 2013, Olivia published her first major novel through Dusky Productions Ltd titled 'Heart of the Tapu Stone'.^[4] This book is Part One of a Three-part trilogy titled 'Threads through the Whariki'. The second book in this series; 'Feather from the Kakahu'^[5] is due for release at the end of 2015.^[6]

Olivia lives in Porirua, New Zealand and is an active part of the local artistic community. She has worked alongside local artist in the creation of art pieces scattered across small city, as well as curating and displaying at Pataka Gallery, Porirua. She has been involved in projects with well known New Zealand Maori artists; playwright and actor Tane Mahuta Grey.

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