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Wednesday 11am - 5pm Thursday 11am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm

Samoa House Library

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Samoa House Library

Samoa House Library is an evolving community arts library and education platform that initially formed in protest to the closure of Auckland arts libraries.

29/04/2026

Ngā mihi nui to the Ron Brownson Estate. As we work through cataloguing our new donations enjoy this small sample

27/02/2026

Join us for our Zine making workshop Saturday 7th of March 11am-1pm with our research resident, Hāwea Apiata. Hāwea will be joined by Marama Salsano. Whether you’re an experienced maker and writer or new to the world of zines — nau mai, haere mai!

For first-timers, you will learn a little bit about the history of zines, be introduced to different zine styles, and be guided through a series of creative exercises to create at least one handmade zine with your original content. The workshop also offers space for those who wish to work more autonomously and chip away at their own zine projects while providing in-house materials and resources (as well as quality banter and company).

Hāwea Apiata is a Kirikiriroa-based writer and curator. His zine of reo Māori poetry about nocturnal native flora & fauna, ‘Ngā Kura o te Pō, Vol. 1’ won best crafted zine at the 2025 Kirikiriroa Hamilton Zinefest. Hāwea’s writing has been published widely in a range of journals and anthologies, both in Aotearoa and overseas. He is the current Samoa House Library Research Resident, working on the manuscript for his first full-length book a collection of horror/speculative short fiction in te reo Māori.

Marama Salsano is a Kirikiriroa-based writer-scholar, editor and multi-disciplinary artist. Her multigenre zine, ‘How Blood Works’ won the best long-form writing award at the 2025 Kirikiriroa Hamilton Zinefest. Marama attended the 2026 Deep Winter Writers Residency at the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity in Canada, and is an invited writer on the 2026 Winter Weaving Writers Hybrid Residency through Arizona State University’s Centre for Imagination in the Borderlands, and the University of Oregon’s College of Education.

25/02/2026

We have some new goodies at SHL
Visit us to see the new deposit in full.
Pictured
Matters Arising: Jane Zuster: Looking at You:Desire & the Female Gaze, Aotearoa NZ in the 1970/ & Early 1980s, Jane Zusters & Mokokpōpaki, 2025
TRBL, Sofia Valiente, UC Riverside, 2023
Gaza Mosaic (Gaza City)
Khirbet Susya (South Hebron Hills)
Khirbet Seilun (Tel Shiloh)
Wadi Hilweh (Silwan), Gal Amiram Gottlieb, 2025
Supporting Role, Jason Hirata, 2024
Stars Lands, Nicola Farquhar, 2024
Te Waka Hourua Whītiki, Mātike, Whakatika!, 2024
The air, like a stone, Emma Fitts and Rosalind Nashashibi, 2023
ProMomme: A S*x Worker’s Guide to Parenting Vol.1(Bootleg Edition), edited by Kim Ye, published by Cash Machine, S*x Workers Outreach Project Los Angeles, and Sming Sming Books, 2024
X-Tra Volume six. Number one. Fall 2003
LAFMS: The Raymond Building 1976, Fredrik Nilsen, The Solid Eye, 2024
The Magic Pencil, Nihaal Faizal, 2025

🙏 .studio for our new favourites

Come have a look at the full list

05/09/2025

Samoa House Library are seeking proposals for the 2025 Research Residency OPEN NOW. This opportunity is for writers and practitioners from art or art-related fields. The residency includes will a stipend of $5,000 open to individuals and collectives.

SHL is interested in supporting significant, urgent, and underrepresented areas of practice; collectively oriented or situated projects; archival interventions and projects relevant to the context of SHL.

07/08/2025

We have so many new books we couldn’t pick just one for the week. Fa’afetai tele lava to Janita Craw, Tim Stevenson, Russell Kleyn, Compound Press, Hana Pera Aoake, Auckland Writers Festival, Moa Press for new treasures 🙏

08/07/2025

Edith’s 📕 of the week is “Street Action Aotearoa” by Mark Scott 📸 Peter Black published by Arohanui Publications in 1985, Ponsonby. Made after the youth riot in 1984 features breakdancing & bombing from rangatahi & their whanau around Te Ika-a-Māui

24/06/2025

📕of the week is Ford’s pick “Arts Colony” a new book & album by Released last month it features a full roster of contributors & soon we will do something together to celebrate. More details to come.. 📖 🚀

11/06/2025

Olive’s book of the week comes to us via the Hato Petera School Library is “The House of the People” by Ron Bacon and Robert Janke published in 1977. Come see “The House of People” in the House of the People

06/06/2025

We’re excited to introduce our new Kaitiaki Director Edith Amituanai and Research Librarian Olive Wilson.

“Talofa lava, I’m Edith Amituanai, the new Kaitiaki Director of Samoa House Library. I’m an artist/photographer. I’ve taught art in many places, from tertiary, primary level to alternative education. I’m excited to be part of this space and to continue the important work that so many have already put into SHL.“

“I’m Olive (Siumu, Vaimoso) - the new librarian in town! It’s a real privilege to be part of this kaupapa and care for the collection. I recently completed Honours in Art History and am back at UoA for more. Come say hi and stay for a ipu ti!”

Join us in welcoming the new Samoa House Library team!

20/03/2025

Two weeks ago, we said farewell to our much-loved Kaitiaki / Operations Manager, Bonni Tamati. If you’ve visited the library in the past 3 years, Bonni has probably welcomed you to the space and made you a cup of tea. Her impact is impossible to put into words, but we’d like to acknowledge all the work she’s done to make SHL a stronghold of proper arts community on Karangahape Road, and to celebrate the history of the Maota Samoa and Pacific people in central Auckland.
We’re so grateful to Bonni and excited to see her pursuing big dreams in the next chapter! Bonni’s departure means we are looking for a new Kaitiaki to see Samoa House Library through the next chapter. If you think this could be you, we’d love to hear from you. Applications close 23 March.

More information about the role and how to apply on our website and at the link in our bio.

Address

283 Karangahape Road
Auckland

Opening Hours

Wednesday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm

Website

http://www.samoahouselibrary.org/

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