Queer Storytelling as Taonga: Creating Rainbow Stars Unite

Rainbow Stars Unite launched on 28 February 2026 as a contribution to the wider body of queer literature in Aotearoa. The anthology was developed through a series of workshops and events in 2025, led by Claire Hiria Dunning, Jamie Sands and Jade du Preez. Rather than engaging in the traditional submission and selection process, the work was collaborative, with writers supporting each other through critique, encouragement and fabulous snacks. The aim was to create an offering—a taonga—for the community, reflecting a range of queer experiences and voices.

Rainbow Stars Unite includes poetry, short fiction, and fictionalised memoir from a wide range of LGBTQIA+ writers in Tāmaki Makaurau, including established and emerging authors. While tied loosely with the theme of the progress pride flag, concepts and genres were as varied as their authors. Readers will find speculative and fantastical stories of werewolves on K’Rd alongside realism in school camps and coming out stories. Some pieces engage with queer joy and others leave space for uncertainty. Taken together, the collection reflects the many ways queer lives are lived and understood.

As Lil O’Brien writes in the foreword, ‘We need queer writers to continue to tell queer stories. So we don’t have to consume the text peeking through our hands or with a finger poised over the pause button. Instead, we can turn off that part of our brain designed for self-preservation, and sink into stories told about us, by us.’

The publication is timely with ongoing local and international debates about LGBTQIA+ rights reaffirming the need to uplift our community. Rainbow Stars Unite is also a practical act of solidarity, with proceeds supporting OutLine Aotearoa, a rainbow mental health organisation. 

The anthology was launched with a free, publicly accessible event at Studio One Toi Tū on 28 February 2026. The launch event  brought together contributors, organisers, friends, whānau, and supporters for an evening of readings and shared kai. Excerpts were received by a warm and engaged audience, and the event reflected the spirit of support and collaboration.

The anthology functions both as a literary object and as a practical intervention. It does not claim to speak for the community as a whole, but it contributes to an ongoing conversation about who gets to tell stories, how they are told, and who they are for. As organiser Claire Hiria Dunning says, ‘let this anthology be a taonga for those who need it.’

Rainbow Stars Unite is available in e-book now.