Witi Ihimaera

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...

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...

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...

A collection to be savoured. A stunning collection of Oceanic stories for the 21st century. Stones move, whale bones rise out of the ground like cities, and 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...

Witi Ihimaera's first published book—Pounamu Pounamu—translated into te reo Māori. Published in collaboration with Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. E rima tekau tau ki muri, ka puta mai a Pounamu Pounamu hei kai ma te ao pānui reo Pākehā. Ko te whakataunga a ngā mana mātauranga o Aotearoa o taua wā, he pukapuka tēnei mā ngā tamariki i ngā kura o te...

A lively story with stunning illustrations that reveals the tradition of Matariki. The Astromancer is looking for four new apprentices to learn about Matariki and the Maramataka calendar. She chooses three boys and an orphan girl, Aria, who will come only if she can bring her smelly dog. Aria, though, is bored by the lessons, and she doesn't want to...

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...

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...

Navigating the Stars by Witi Ihimaera presents Maori myths retold. From master storyteller Witi Ihimaera, comes 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...

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...

A Aria me te Atua o te Kūmara is the gripping sequel to The Astromancer - translated into te reo Maori by Hēni Jacob. Koia tēnei, ko te paki whakaihiihi e whai mai ana i Te Kokorangi. Noho morearea ana nga ra ki tua - kua mauheretia a Te Kokorangi e te hoariri kino, e Ruatapu, waihoki, e matemate katoa...

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...

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...

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...

A little book containing so much — a novella, history, eyewitness reports, Māori translation, verse, and images. Both fiction and fact, this fascinating book is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the Battle of Orakau. During three days in 1864, 300 Māori men, women, and children fought an Imperial army and captured the imagination of the world. The battle marked the end...

A powerful new collection of non-fiction by contemporary Māori writers. Nga Kupu Wero brings together a bounty of essays, articles, commentary and creative non-fiction on the political, cultural and social issues that challenge us today. From colonisation to identity, from creativity to mātauranga Māori, over 60 writers explore the power of the word. Accept the challenge of the wero. Join...

A full-colour illustrated chapter book for readers 6 years plus that returns to the exciting magical world of the Astromancer! Will headstrong Aria manage the impossible climb up to the stars and free Te Kokorangi from Ruatapu's clutches before time runs out? Enter the exciting and dangerous world of the Astromancer... This epic magical adventure inspired by Māori mythology is...

The revealing sequel to the award-winning memoir Maori Boy. This is the second volume of memoir by this remarkable Maori writer and of the living myths that inspired him at the beginning of his career. Look at him, the young man on the cover. The year is 1972, he is 28, his first book is about to be published, and...

This award-winning novel is being reissued to tie in with the release of Mahana, the stunning film adaptation of the novel. Caught in the middle of the clash between two great Maori clans, Simeon, grandson of Bulibasha and Ramona, struggles with his own feelings and loyalties as the battles rage...

Bulibasha is the title given to the King of the Gypsies, and on the East Coast of New Zealand, two patriarchs fight to be proclaimed the king. Tamihana is the leader of the great Mahana family of shearers and sportsmen and women. Rupeni Poata is his arch-enemy. The two families clash constantly, in sport, in cultural contests and, finally, in...

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,...

This is the first volume of Witi Ihimaera's enthralling 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...

The Dream Swimmer, sequel to the award-winning The Matriarch, continues the odyssey of Tama Mahana, grandson and heir to the matriarch, as he assumes the mantle of leadership and, with it, his grandmother's battles with the Pakeha. But at every step, Tama is thwarted - by deception and intrigue, and by the woman whose destiny has intersected Riripeti's and his....