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Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
I te Ao o te Reo
Brief Description
Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo...
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Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
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See moreNew Zealand’s leading Māori writer decides at eighty to go back and learn his own language – and write about it.
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Description
Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Māori.
This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year i te ao o te reo – of sinking and floating; of loss and shame, connection and wairua; of fathers and teachers, kuia and friends.
A riveting and revealing memoir, Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer sparkles with whaikōrero and whakataukī and is written for all – Māori and Pākehā, fluent reo Māori speakers and those for whom the language is still a mystery, a dream, an aspiration.
It is the story of a Māori New Zealander reclaiming his voice, history and whakapapa in contemporary Aotearoa. Of becoming Witi Ihimaera Smiler and drawing closer to his desire to write a novel in te reo for his beloved father Tom and his tīpuna.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781776712380
Publisher: Auckland University Press
Book cover type: Hardcover
Genre: Biography, Education
Language version: ENG- English
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 14 May 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Auckland University Press
Illustration: 14 colour illustrations (photographs)
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 228.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 340
Collections
2025 Best Sellers
2026 Auckland Writers Festival
Best Sellers at Book Hero
Best Selling Books
Biography & Memoir
Festival New Zealand Writers
Festival Non-Fiction
In Stock Books
Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies
New Zealand and Australia Published
New Zealand Biographies
New Zealand Non-Fiction
New Zealand Published
Non-Fiction
Witi Ihimaera
Witi Ihimaera Smiler
About the Author
Witi Ihimaera Smiler DCNZM, QSM, was born in Gisborne and is of Te Whānau-a-Kai, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Porou descent with connections to Tūhoe, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri. Diplomat, professor and one of Aotearoa’s most distinguished living writers, his many books include Pounamu, Pounamu (1972), The Matriarch (1986) and The Whale Rider (1987), made into a hugely successful film in 2002 and also translated into te reo Māori by Tīmoti Kāretu. He has received numerous awards, including the Wattie Book of the Year, the Montana Book Award and a Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement. In 2004 he became a Distinguished Companion of the Order of New Zealand and in 2017 France made him Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He is, today, recognised as one of the world’s leading contemporary indigenous authors and thinkers. He lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
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A classic novel that became a classic film. This classic has been released in the Popular Penguin format to mark 50 years of publishing in New Zealand. The format reaches further back to 1935, when Allen Lane founded Penguin Books with a clear vision: 'We believed in the existence of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low...Paperback$1599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Te Kaieke Tohora
Te Kaieke Tohora by Witi Ihimaera is the te reo Māori translation of the international bestseller The Whale Rider. This enchanting tale weaves together myth and modernity, tradition and transformation, bringing to life the rich cultural heritage of the Māori people. At its core is the story of Kahutia-te-rangi, known as the Whale Rider, the revered ancestor of the tribes...Paperback$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Pounamu Pounamu - Te reo Maori edition
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The Whale Rider
A beautiful picture book retelling of Witi Ihimaera's bestselling novel The Whale Rider, illustrated by Bruce Potter. Witi Ihimaera's bestselling novel The Whale Rider is retold in a beautifully illustrated picture book format for young readers. From the time of her birth, Kahu is destined to become the leader of her tribe in the East Coast village of Whangara. But...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2200Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Whale Rider
The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera, tells the timeless story of how the courage of one girl in standing against the tide of tradition enables her tribe to reconnect with their ancestral life force. The Whale Rider has become one of Witi Ihimaera's best-loved stories, capturing readers with its universal themes of conflict between generations and genders, respect for nature,...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Te Kokorangi 1: Te Kokorangi
Te Kokorangi 1: Te Kokorangi is Witi Ihimaera's lively Matariki story, known as The Astromancer, translated into te reo Māori by Heni Jacob. E kimi ana a Te Kokorangi i etahi pia hou tokowha hei ako i nga korero o Matariki me te maramataka. Kowhiria ana etahi tama tokotoru, me tetahi kotiro, he pani, ko Aria te ingoa. Tohe ana...Hardback$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
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The Parihaka Woman
The Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera is a masterful blend of historical fact and imaginative fiction, a novel set against the backdrop of one of New Zealand's most significant and tumultuous periods. The story brings to life the captivating journey of Erenora, a courageous woman from the peaceful settlement of Parihaka in Taranaki, which is thrust into turmoil during the...Paperback$3700Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
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Tangi
The 50th anniversary edition of this award-winning debut novel. First released 50 years ago, Tangi was Witi Ihimaera's debut novel and the first to be published by a Maori author. A landmark literary event, it went on to win the James Wattie Book of the Year Award. He was just 29 years old at the time. At the centre of...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pounamu Pounamu
Pounamu Pounamu by Witi Ihimaera is a timeless collection that captures the essence and spirit of Māori culture and New Zealand life. First published in 1972, this compelling anthology of stories marks Ihimaera's debut into the literary world, offering readers a profound and insightful portrayal of his experiences and the rich cultural tapestry of his homeland. Set against the backdrop...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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Enter the realm of Te Kokorangi... In this award-winning illustrated series, Maori myths and monsters come to life! Will the Astromancer's tribe survive its final battle? Join Te Kokorangi and her apprentices on a time travel adventure to Hawaiki and meet Ruapakanga and his tohora warriors! 'Katahi na te rapunga.' - Magpies 'Chock full of danger, heroes, old wisdom and...Hardback$2200Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
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