Talanoa Books is an independent New Zealand publishing house committed to the publication of original Tongan literature and philosophy. Established in 2014, our first publication was Talanoa ʻA E Kafataha by Dr Sitiveni Halapua, written in Tongan and distributed widely throughout New Zealand and the Pacific, it became our inaugural title that articulated and brought our founding vision to life.

In 2016, we launched the Island Fables Series with the publication of The Mouse and the Octopus. From Tongan/New Zealand illustrator and author Lisala Halapua, this book retold one of Tonga’s oldest and most well-known fables. A finalist in the 2017 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults this book was translated in 2020 and published as a Tongan/English bilingual book, Ko Kumā Mo Feke.

Published Titles

Talanoa ʻA E Kafataha (2014)
The Mouse and the Octopus (2016)
The Worm and the Whale (2018)
The Mouse and the Ant (2020)
Ko Kumā mo Feke (2020)
The Art of Talanoa (2022)

Upcoming Titles

Introducing Talanoa: Collected Papers
TONGA: Ki He Falakaloa ‘A E Fonua
Hina and the Eel

Our Stockists