How To Loiter In A Turf War – Coco Solid

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS

A day in the life of three brown friends hanging out in Auckland, eating, chatting, catching the bus, amongst racism, gentrification and the modern effects of colonisation.

That’s the third person I know without a house.
What the hell is going on?
They’re pulling us out of our own soil … like weeds.
I’m not a weed.

● In this book there is a trio of friends who are young and hopeful, clever and contemplative. They offer interesting and witty thoughts on relevant topics in voices that range from street language to intellectual. They are innocent. They are powerful. They are also brown and so their everyday experiences are tinged with the effects of racism both spoken and unspoken.

The book could be described as a novel, a short story, an essay, a long poem, musings … Coco Solid (Ngāpuhi, Sāmoa) uses the word novel on the front cover but I think it’s a lot more honest and raw than this word portrays. Plus the text is arranged in interesting ways and there are drawings scattered throughout. It is very much a multi-genre work of art that reflects a honest day in the life of an ordinary Kiwi. – Rachel

Riding New Zealand buses, same as riding dick.
You need to be optimistic your next one won’t let you down despite what you know.
You let a bus timetable lie to your face.
But you still get on board don’t you?
I’m just saying. If you and them are going the same way … why not hop on?

Published 2022
Penguin
176 pages