Ni sa bula
Talofa lava
Taloha ni
Fakaalofa lahi atu
Malo e lelei
Kia orana
Tena koutou

Welcome to the after-match report from Banana Boat’s October fono in Grey Lynn.

Present were Arnette Arapai, Aroha Awarau, Bobby Romia, Chris Molloy, Grant Bayley, Jonathan Riley, Joy Vaele, Leilani Salesa, Leilani Unasa, and David Mamea.

Apologies were received from a Nippon-travelling Louise Tu’u, an otherwise-engaged Geraldine Warren, and a dreadfully sick Jenni Heka.

BANANA BOAT BUSINESS

David was going to spring an annual general meeting on this fono… until he saw that the trust deed does not require an AGM. Still, we like to be transparent: Banana Boat’s maiden financial accounts are with the Charities Commission.

COMING UP

Ahi Karunaharan‘s one-man play, The Mourning After, is still playing at the Circa in Wellington.

SCRIPT READINGS

Bobby read his intriguing and absorbing monologue, Frozen Smile, which he’s planning to expand into a full-length play. We’re hooked.

Leilani‘s play-in-progress, Church Street, was read by the group, and she openly discussed her development process to date; its first appearance was at our August fono. We’re enchanted.

Aroha shared the first draft of his play, Luncheon, fulfilling the promise of his April fono teaser-reading. We’re riveted.

We here at Banana Boat count ourselves damnably honoured to be at the bleeding edge of Pasifika and Maori writing with our monthly fono. Luck has nothing to do with it.

NEXT FONO

– will be on Thursday 22 November at the Toi Ora Live Art Studio, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn. This will be the last fono for 2012.

There is a high probability of a Festive Season Fa’afiafiaga sometime early in December – details will follow sometime in November.