Ataria Sharman (Ngāpuhi, Tapuika and Pākehā) is a writer of essays, poetry and articles.  At Ramp Festival she will be talking about how as a self-made wāhine, she manages to stay creative and make a living. Real-word tips on making it in the creative sector, earn pūtea, building networks, and making a name for yourself as a creative. This will include the pitching process for writers and the editorial process. She will also touch on mātauranga Māori as a framework to guide artistic practice.

Ataria is Kaiwāwāhi at The Pantograph Punch and the creator of Awa Wahine. Ataria has a Master of Arts in Māori Studies and spent a year researching mana wahine and atua wāhine as well as interviewing Māori women about their experiences with atua wāhine. The manuscript for her children’s fiction novel Hine and the Tohunga Portal was one of five selected for Te Papa Tupu 2018 and will be published by Huia Publishers in August of this year. Recently, she also self-published a collection of writings by wāhine Māori on the atua wāhine and has a printed magazine for Awa Wahine coming out soon.