Meet Caleb Haurua from Auckland.
What’s your journey to where you are now?
I grew up in Ōtara in South Auckland and we didn’t have much. I remember singing the Duffy song (I still know the words to it today) and some of my earliest memories are the assemblies where books were given out. I enjoyed the assemblies and the books as a it meant I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself.
Books really became my safe space as a kid and the books from Duffy Books really helped me fall in love with reading. It’s part of the reason I’m studying for my PhD now. As I grew older, I didn’t do much reading in high school but when I went to university, I re-found my love of reading. I really have to thank Duffy Books in Homes for everything – the books especially as I didn’t visit the library much as a kid so these books I could read and take home and keep were amazing. Currently I’m studying for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Indigenous Studies focusing on reclaiming Te Reo.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Be proud of what you like, what you find interesting and cool and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Your favourite book or book series and why?
As a kid, my favourite book series was ‘Captain Underpants’ because I found it really funny. I also really enjoyed the ‘Horrible Histories’ series because there was so much information and facts in there to absorb.
What book do you wish you’d read as a kid?
As both of Cook Island and Māori descent, I wish I’d tapped into my Māori side more by reading stories that were written or featured Māori people. I remember being given a book “Alan Duff’s Māori Heroes” which is a book about the lives and accomplishments of 50 Māori individuals.
What’s one thing you want every kid to know?
I want every kid to know that they’re enough and the world is your oyster. There is a Māori whakataukī that says “Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao”. This whakataukī means that the bird that feasts on the berry owns the forest; the bird that feasts on knowledge owns the world. This to me means that you can go beyond your current circumstances and strive for greater things.
