Editorial

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Kelly Ana Morey’s sudden passing leaves takahē magazine bereft of a voice that had only just begun to shape our pages. As our Essays Editor, she brought the same qualities that defined her fiction and criticism: wit, clarity, and an uncompromising eye, to the work of stewarding others’ writing.

Kelly joined takahē earlier this year, and her impact was immediate. She was allergic to mediocrity, quick to spot flabby prose or lazy thinking, and equally quick to champion work that was sharp, daring, or beautifully made. Her editorial notes were delivered with the honesty of someone who respected literature enough to demand its best.

In meetings and correspondence, Kelly reminded us that essays are a vital part of the magazine’s identity. She believed that criticism and reflection should be as artful as fiction or poetry, and she worked to ensure takahē’s essays lived up to that standard.

For the editorial team, Kelly was more than an editor. She was a colleague whose humour lightened long discussions, whose candour kept us honest, and whose generosity sustained us. She could be fierce in her judgments, but never cruel; her sharpness was the measure of her respect for the craft.

Though her tenure with us was brief, Kelly’s influence will endure. She reminded us that editing is not about smoothing edges but about sharpening them. And she left us with the challenge to carry forward her insistence on excellence, independence, and wit.

Kelly Ana Morey (Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, and Pākehā) died on 1 September 2025, aged 57. She once described herself as ‘the pain in the ass who wanted to row her own waka in her own way,’ a line that captures her refusal to conform, her insistence on carving out her own path. That independence was tempered by her deep engagement with the literary community, mentoring, critiquing, and supporting others with generosity and candour.

Kelly rowed her own waka. At takahē, we were fortunate to have her row alongside us, even for a short while. Her absence is keenly felt, but her example remains: uncompromising, generous, and unforgettable.

Ngā mihi nui,
Andrew Paul Wood
Art and Comics Editor