Notable New Zealand poet and academic Selina Tusitala Marsh ONZM, FRSNZ has been announced as the first Commonwealth Poet Laureate.
The professor of English at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is a former New Zealand Poet Laureate and award-winning writer, known for her three collections of poetry and most recently, her bestselling children’s graphic memoir series Mophead.
The appointment, the first in the 75-year history of the Commonwealth of Nations, will run until 31 May 2027 and involve Marsh crafting original poems for flagship Commonwealth events, including Commonwealth Day, the Commonwealth People’s Forum and Ministerial and Heads of Government Meetings.
She will also advise on the Commonwealth Foundation’s creative programming – the principal agency for Commonwealth culture – and will appear in person at the Commonwealth People’s Forum and Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua & Barbuda in 2026.
Marsh, who is of Samoan, Tuvaluan, English, French and Scottish heritage, says she is “deeply honoured” to accept the role.
“In Samoan, we say, O le tele o sulu e maua ai figota. ‘The more torches we have, the more fish we can catch’. Poetry is our torch, illuminating paths between our diverse cultures and histories.
“The Māori proverb goes ‘He toi whakairo, he mana tangata’; ‘Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.’ This profound truth guides my vision for this role. Through the elevation of our creative voices, we affirm our shared humanity across the Commonwealth.
“When we honour the artistry within our communities, whether it flows from Samoa, my mother’s island, or New Zealand, where I was born and grew up, we recognise the inherent dignity and worth of every person whose story deserves to be told.”
She remembers back to the moment in 2016 when she recited one of her poems at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in front of the late Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries.
“Her Majesty charged me with fostering unity through verse, and I felt the weight and wonder of words that bridge worlds. Today, I accept this torch with alofa (love) and renewed commitment to amplify the voices that heal, challenge, and unite our Commonwealth family. Together, we will kindle more torches, casting light on the stories that connect us all, celebrating the artistic excellence that affirms our collective human dignity.”
University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater is delighted to see one of the University’s staff honoured in such a significant way.
“Selina is an absolute treasure in the University of Auckland community. She gives so generously of her creativity and time, both on Campus and in the wider community. We are so lucky to work with her, and we’re deeply proud she has been honoured in this way,” she says.
“She will do the University, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific proud, as well as being a vital voice for the humanities. In times of global uncertainty, it’s the humanities that help us make sense of complexity, preserve culture, and imagine better futures.”
Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation Dr Anne T. Gallagher, who made the inaugural appointment, says it places creative expression at the heart of the Commonwealth’s work.
“It is through poetry that we can learn best about ourselves and each other. Poetry helps us make sense of our fragile world. It is the language of love and dreams, the language of despair and desire, of protest and rebellion.”
Gallagher says that at the Commonwealth, they have come to understand that poetry – and creativity in all its forms – is not an embellishment of the Commonwealth story but a catalyst for justice, understanding, and hope.
“Selina Tusitala Marsh embodies that truth. Her poetry travels effortlessly from the smallest community to the global stage: illuminating the concerns and aspirations of our 2.7 billion citizens and challenging all of us to listen more closely. There could be no finer inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate.”
Selina Tusitala Marsh was the first Pacific person to earn a PhD in English from the University of Auckland. She lectures in Pacific poetry and creative writing in the University’s department of English and Drama and is the co-director of the University’s Centre for Arts and Social Transformation (CAST), which promotes arts-led approaches to justice, health and well-being.
Marsh’s three acclaimed poetry collections are Fast Talking PI, Dark Sparring and Tightrope, all published by Auckland University Press, as well as the multi-award-winning graphic memoir series Mophead, which she also illustrated.
In 2019, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. She was New Zealand’s Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019.
