SHELLEY BURNE-FIELD’s book Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie is an exciting and action-packed animal story.
We caught up with Shelley to ask about the inspiration behind her story and Kahu!
What inspired your story?
I’ve seen hawks and magpies fighting in the sky! I wondered what would happen if a hawk was injured and had to survive on the ground? I found a true story about a hawk surviving on the ground with no feet. Hmmm. I imagined an adventure with kāhu / hawks and magpies. And then, I thought, oh how about two sisters trying to save their brother?! The story came alive.
What can you tell us about Poto, Whetu and Ari’s bond and how their bond develops over the course of the novel?
Poto and Whetū are sisters and as any sister knows, the most fun thing in the world is to argue with your sister, play with your sister, and argue with your sister. Yes – I said ‘argue’ twice. We love our sisters! We also love our brothers! Ari is a younger brother kāhu hawk who is a tiny bit different than any other kāhu. At first, Poto is tired of baby-sitting her little brother. Hmmm, who has ever felt like that? Baby-sitting little siblings can be tiresome! But throughout the novel Poto really gets to know Ari and they rediscover their aroha love for each other. Poto and Whetū also manage to work out their differences, as sisters often do. Yay!
What gave you the idea to write a novel from the perspective of the birds?
I love animal adventure stories like Watership Down or ‘Jungle Book’ tales. They’re exciting – don’t you think? As a reader, I like to be immersed into the story – so why not get into the thoughts and actions of the birds? It takes us closer to the story and the characters.
What makes the Kahu special and why did you choose to write about them?
Kāhu is the Māori word for swamp harrier hawks. They are predators of the sky. They are hunters. When we see them circling in the sky, I feel it brings us closer to nature and reminds us that there are more than just humans in our environment. We don’t see many ground-dwelling in our daily lives – they can be invisible. Fliers of the skies are special and also get a good view of our countryside – they can see things that others don’t.
What was your favourite part of writing this story?
Ooooh – the action scenes! I love the heart pumping scenes where characters have to act to save another or survive. Another favourite part is the seashells. Ari loves shells and so do the weka birds who come to help, Piki and Tai. Ari’s shells and the special Aroha Quest Shell are like rewards for all the good and special things that the birds do, for example, helping others, believing in yourself, learning about the world around you, making peace with yourself and others etc…
Describe this book in three words.
Exciting. Hopeful. Fun.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Burne-Field (Sāmoa, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Rārua, Pākehā) is a kaituhituhi from Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay. She writes articles and creative non-fiction as well as fiction of all sorts, including short stories. This is her first children’s story. She is an alumni of the Master of Creative Writing from Auckland University 2020 and also Te Papa Tupu mentoring programme. Her story ‘Speaking in Tongues’ was the only New Zealand Finalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her work is now in print in anthologies around the world, and has appeared in Newsroom and on RNZ. Her story ‘Pinching out Dahlias’ is the most read short story published in Reading Room. Shelley is a proud member of the NZSA.
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