Teherenui Koteka was born and raised on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Through her veins flows the blood of my Kūki ‘Āirani ancestors, a lineage that stretches from Penrhyn in the North to Mangaia in the South.

A graduate of Theatre, Film, and Media Studies at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, Tehereui has completed her Masters of Creative Writing. An aspiring scriptwriter, she sees theatre and film as platforms to magnify the under-represented voice of Pasifika peoples – bringing into her own work the perspective of a young Pasifika woman.

Teherenui aims to weave the traditions of her ancestors, with the experiences of modern Pasifika youth, to create work that encourages her people to generate and engage in conversations surrounding current issues.