2012 marks a significant year for a well-known publisher of Māori and Pacific writers, Huia Publishers. And this manu is soaring.

The Wellington-based publisher celebrated 21 years in the business, in the same year that Aotearoa-New Zealand is the Guest of Honour country at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Huia Publishers will be one of several businesses to represent Aotearoa at the October event.

Robyn Rangihuia Bargh, with husband Brian Bargh, founded Huia Publishers in 1991 to increase the number of Māori writers being published.

“There were a lot of things going on in the Māori world that weren’t being published,” Robyn said.

Those early days working out of an old bakery were tied with the newly established Te Puni Kōkiri. “Not long after Te Puni Kōkiri was formed, we designed their first logo, newsletters and corporate documents,” Robyn says.

Now firmly entrenched in Thorndon’s Pipitea Street, the publishing house has gone on to publish new and renowned Māori authors, win several children’s and adult book awards, and establish the Pikihuia Awards for Māori writers.

Huia Publishers books are in te reo Māori and English, covering a range of genre from academic literature, historically-based fiction, through to science-fiction, poetry, and resources for Māori-medium schools.

“There is a lot more to do,” says Robyn. “We need more Māori writers, producing books in excellent Māori. I think we need a collective vision: we need to imagine a library, a room full of books in te reo Māori … then we will know we really have achieved something for the world to savour.”

Robyn is of Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara descent, and was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Māori Language and Publishing in the New Year Honours List 2012.

Te Puni Kōkiri is supporting foru Māori publishers to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2012. They are: Huia Publishers, Te Hana Limited, Oratia and Kiwi Media.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is an important platform for promoting award winning books and selling rights for distribution. It is the world's biggest book and media trade fair - with around 7,500 exhibitors from over 110 countries and nearly 300,000 visitors expected. It will showcase Aotearoa-New Zealand talent over days of international book trading in Germany.