Zech Soakai is a storyteller and educator from Poutasi, Upolu, Samoa and Ha'ato'u, Ha'apai, Tonga. Raised in South Auckland, he considers his work as a writer, orator and educator significant in village building and warrior raising - so that his communities may continue to flourish. Zech is an award-winning performance poet and was privileged to go on the Rhodes Poetry Retreat in Monolithos under the tutelage of Greek-Australian Poet Luka Lesson. His written works can be found in: 'Rapture: An Anthology of Performance Poetry in Aotearoa New Zealand' (AUP, 2023) and 'Remember Me: Poems to Learn by Heart from Aotearoa New Zealand' (AUP, 2023).