Witi Ihimaera

As her beloved grandfather, chief of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, struggles to lead in difficult times and to find a male successor, young Kahu is developing a mysterious relationship with whales, particularly the ancient bull whale whose leg

The Whale Rider

The first volume of Witi Ihimaera's enthralling memoir, packed with the stories surrounding the formative years of this much-loved writer. Witi Ihimaera is a consummate story-teller, having created many fictional tales in his numerous books. Some of his most fascinating stories, however, are about his own life. This work tells of the family and community into which he was born, of his early life as a Maori boy in rural New Zealand. It is engrossing, it is funny, it is moving, it is vividly told, but more than this, it is a vital record of what it means to grow up Maori.

A Memoir of Childhood

Māori Boy

Pūrākau

Whiti Hereaka

"Ancient Māori creation myths, portrayals of larger-than-life heroes and tales of engrossing magical beings have endured through the ages. Some hail back to Hawaiki, some are firmly grounded in New Zealand and its landscape. Through countless generations, the stories have been reshaped and passed on. This new collection presents a wide range of traditional myths that have been retold by some of our best Maori wordsmiths" --

Maori Myths Retold by Maori Writers

Purakau

Witi Ihimaera's first novel for six years. Two patriarchs on the East Coast of New Zealand fight for the title of king, and their families are involved in conflict in sport and culture, and in the Golden Fleece contest. Simeon, a teenager, is caught in the middle of the struggle. The novel was written when Witi Ihimaera was Katherine Mansfield Fellow in Menton.

King of the Gypsies

Bulibasha

Pounamu Pounamu

At once a vigorous social history, an intensive course in Maoritanga, and an imaginative study of human relationships.

The Matriarch

Tina Makereti

A stunning collection of Oceanic stories for the 21st century. Stones move, whale bones rise out of the ground like cities, a man figures out how to raise seven daughters alone. Sometimes gods speak or we find ourselves in a not-too-distant future. Here are the glorious, painful, sharp and funny 21st century stories of Maori and Pasifika writers from all over the world. Vibrant, provocative and aesthetically exciting, these stories expand our sense of what is possible in Indigenous Oceanic writing. Witi Ihimaera and Tina Makereti present the very best new and uncollected stories and novel excerpts, creating a talanoa, a conversation, where the stories do the talking. And because our commonalities are more stimulating than our differences, the anthology also includes guest work from an Aboriginal Australian writer, and several visual artists whose work speaks to similar kaupapa. Join us as we deconstruct old theoretical maps and allow these fresh Black Marks on the White Page to expand our perception of the Pacific world.

Black Marks on the White Page

A wonderfully surprising, inventive and deeply moving riff on fact and fiction, history and imagination from one of New Zealand's finest and most memorable storytellers. There has never been a New Zealand novel quite like The Parihaka Woman. Richly imaginative and original, weaving together fact and fiction, it sets the remarkable story of Erenora against the historical background of the turbulent and compelling events that occurred in Parihaka during the 1870s and 1880s. Parihaka is the place Erenora calls home, a peaceful Taranaki settlement overcome by war and land confiscation. As her world is threatened, Erenora must find within herself the strength, courage and ingenuity to protect those whom she loves. And, like a Shakespearean heroine, she must change herself before she can take up her greatest challenge and save her exiled husband, Horitana.

The Parihaka Woman

"The themes of Woman far walking involve the survival, struggles and resilience of the Maori people, as shown through the life of one woman"--Introd.

Woman Far Walking

Die magische Geschichte vom Mädchen, das den Wal ritt

Whalerider

Whalerider. Die magische Geschichte vom Mädchen, das den Wal ritt.

THE ROPE OF MAN is two books in one. The first book, TANGI, is set in 1973 and focuses on Tama Mahana, a young 20-year old newspaper reporter working in Wellington, as he attends his father's funeral in Waituhi. The second book, THE RETURN is a sequel, set in 2005; Tama Mahana, now 52, is living in London and is a successful TV anchorman of an international news show. This time it is his mother, Huia, who is dying, and as Tama travels back to New Zealand he realises that both he and his mother are powerless to prevent the secret that they have been harbouring for the last 32 years from blowing their family apart. Epic in scope, THE ROPE OF MAN is a story of love, loss and redemption. It is also a triumphant extension to Witi Ihimaera's exploration of Maori identity - but, this time, on a world stage. Engaging, passionate and lyrical, the novel is pure Ihimaera - blending dramatic flair and humour. It is bound to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

The Rope of Man

Focusing on the relationship between a young man and his father, this is a moving account of death - but also an affirmation of life. It describes, simply and affectionately, rural Maori life, with its emphasis on aroha and family unity, in the hope that such a life will never be lost.

Tangi

A powerful, prize-winning novella from the much-loved author of The Whale Rider, plus a moving screenplay, film stills and commentary on writing and movie making. A medicine woman - a giver of life - is asked to hide a secret that may protect a position in society, but could have fatal consequences. When she is approached by the servant of a wealthy woman, three very different women become players in a head-on clash of beliefs, deception and ultimate salvation. This compelling story tackles moral dilemmas, exploring the nature of identity, societal attitudes to the roles of women and the tension between Western and traditional Maori medicine. This book, though, is also about the richness of creativity, illustrating the way a single story can take on different lives. The original novella, Medicine Woman, has been rewritten and expanded by Witi Ihimaera to become White Lies. It has also evolved into a screenplay by internationally acclaimed director and screenwriter Dana Rotberg, which has been made into a superb film by South Pacific Pictures. Thus this book offers an intriguing insight into the process of adapting work, as well as offering new versions of this potent story. Nga Kupu Ora - Aotearoa Maori Book Awards 2013, winner of the Te Pakimaero / Fiction category

White Lies

A wry, touching short story from one of New Zealand's best-loved writers. When Uncle Rangiora visits his sister and dances with her in the garden, she knows she has to visit the place where he died, and where he and other of his comrades from the Maori Battalion were buried during the Second World War. His sister is an old woman now, her husband is even older, but that's not going to stop them from setting off across the world alone, to the great consternation of their children who wonder if they will ever get there and back. This moving and entertaining story is a fictionalised version of the trip to Tunisia taken by the author's elderly parents. Musing upon postcolonial politics and perspectives, it also considers the lyrical form the author used at the beginning of his literary career and the wit, style and drama that readers can discover in his newer works.

I've Been Thinking About You, Sister

From master storyteller Witi Ihimaera, a spellbinding and provocative retelling of traditional Maori myths for the twenty-first century. In this milestone volume, Ihimaera traces the history of the Maori people through their creation myths. He follows Tawhaki up the vines into the firmament, Hine-titama down into the land of the dead, Maui to the ends of the earth, and the giants and turehu who sailed across the ocean to our shores . . . From Hawaiki to Aotearoa, the ancient navigators brought their myths, while looking to the stars - bright with gods, ancestors and stories - to guide the way. 'Step through the gateway now to stories that are as relevant today as they ever were.'

Maori Creation Myths

Navigating the Stars

This is the first volume of Witi Ihimaera's enthralling, award-winning memoir, packed with stories from the formative years of this much-loved writer. Witi Ihimaera is a consummate storyteller — one critic calling him one of our ‘finest and most memorable’. Some of his best stories, however, are about his own life. This honest, stirring work tells of the family and community into which Ihimaera was born, of his early life in rural New Zealand, of family secrets, of facing anguish and challenges, and of laughter and love. As Ihimaera recounts the myths that formed his early imagination, he also reveals the experiences from real life that wriggled into his fiction. Alive with an inventive, stimulating narrative and vividly portrayed relatives, this memoir is engrossing, entertaining and moving, but, more than this, it is also a vital record of what it means to grow up Maori. Winner of the Ockham New Zealand Book Award 2016 for the General Non Fiction category.

Maori Boy

"Anthology ... which ... represents the ways in which Māori identity has been constructed by our writers"--P. 9.

Witi Ihimaera

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