Konai Helu Thaman

Konai Helu Thaman (born 1946) is a poet and academic from Tonga.
Background.
Thaman was born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, in 1946. Growing up she attended the Free Wesleyan Primary School, Tonga High School, and Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland, New Zealand. In 1972 she met her husband Randy Thaman and traveled with him to the United States where she undertook her post-graduate education. She has received a BA in Geography (University of Auckland); Teaching Diploma (Auckland Secondary Teachers’ College); MA in International Education (University of California, Santa Barbara) and a PhD in Education (University of the South Pacific).
Career.
Between 1969 and 1972 Thaman was a teacher in Tonga. She has worked at the University of the South Pacific since 1974 and currently holds a Personal Chair in Pacific Education and Culture, a position she has held since its establishment in 1998. She has also held management positions at the university including Director of the Institute of Education, Head of the School of Humanities, and Pro-vice-chancellor.
As an academic researcher, Thaman has been widely published, with a focus on education (including indigenous and teacher education), curriculum development, and sustainable development (with a focus on the Pacific context).
Thaman has held several positions with UNESCO. Between 1998–2006 she was the UNESCO Chair in Teacher Education and Culture. She is currently a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development and member of the Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
Published works.
Works by Thaman have been used in primary and secondary education across the Pacific region. Her collections of poetry include:
Her poems have been translated into multiple languages, including German by Renate von Gizyckia, in the collection of poems titled "Inselfeuer" (Reihe Literatur des Pazifik, 1986). Her poems are also in several anthologies including "Fire in the Sea: An Anthology of Poetry" "and Art" and "Nuanua: Pacific Writing in English since 1980".
Further reading.
"Women in South Pacific literature: An interview with Konai Helu Thaman", World Literature Written in English (1978), Volume 17, Issue 1, pp. 263–267 