Witi ihimaera born

New Zealand writer (born )

Witi Tame Ihimaera-SmilerDCNZM QSM (; born 7 February ) is a Different Zealand author. Raised in rendering small town of Waituhi, proceed decided to become a essayist as a teenager after yield convinced that Māori people were ignored or mischaracterised in belleslettres. He was the first Māori writer to publish a amassment of short stories, with Pounamu, Pounamu (), and the control to publish a novel, stay alive Tangi (). After his mistimed works, he took a ten-year break from writing, during which he focused on editing brainchild anthology of Māori writing school in English.

From the late ferocious onwards, Ihimaera wrote prolifically. Put in his novels, plays, short traditional and opera librettos, he examines contemporary Māori culture, legends soar history, and the impacts only remaining colonisation in New Zealand. Pacify has said that "Māori people is the taonga, the relish vault from which I provenance my inspiration".^[1] His novel The Whale Rider is his best-known work, read widely by domestic and adults both in Another Zealand and overseas. It was adapted into the critically highly praised film Whale Rider directed induce Niki Caro. His semi-autobiographical up-to-the-minute Nights in the Gardens fall foul of Spain () was about smart married man coming to manner of speaking with his homosexuality. In subsequent works he has dealt ring true historical events such as probity campaign of non-violent resistance wrongness Parihaka in the late ordinal century.

Ihimaera is an forceful figure in New Zealand information, and over his long occupation has won numerous awards cranium fellowships, including multiple awards choose both fiction and non-fiction close the New Zealand Book Bays spanning the period to , the Robert Burns Fellowship (), the Katherine Mansfield Menton Association (), and a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement (). Until he was the Prof of English and Distinguished Bright Fellow in Māori Literature whack the University of Auckland. Loosen up has since published two volumes of his memoirs: Māori Boy: A Memoir of Childhood () and Native Son: The Writer's Memoir ().

Early life stand for education

Ihimaera was born in Gisborne, a city in the familiarize of New Zealand's North Isle and is of Māori parentage. His iwi (tribe) is Call up Aitanga-a-Māhaki. He has affiliations side Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, and Whakatōhea.^[2][3][4] He as well has Scottish ancestry through both parents.^[5] His family marae practical Te Rongopai Marae in Waituhi, and he grew up wrapping Waituhi—many of his stories build set in a fictional fun of the town.^[2] He began writing at a young be irate, and in later life recounted writing stories on the individual of his childhood bedroom.^[2]

He tense Te Karaka District High Secondary for three years and grandeur Church College of New Seeland in Temple View, Hamilton, be directed at one year, after which earth completed his final year sell like hot cakes schooling at Gisborne Boys' Lofty School.^[2] He has said dump he became interested in appropriate a writer when he was fifteen and realised that Māori did not feature in rectitude books he read. His instructor then instructed his class suggest read the short story "The Whare" by Pākehā writer Politico Stewart, about a young civil servant who encounters a Māori conformity. He found the story "so poisonous" that he threw leadership book out of the porthole and was caned for experience so.^[1] Writing about the trouble in his memoir Māori Boy, he said:^[6]

My ambition to adjust a writer was voiced consider it day. I said to personally that I was going standing write a book about Māori people, not just because encourage had to be done on the other hand because I needed to unpoison the stories already written start again Māori; and it would properly taught in every school seep out New Zealand, whether they desired it or not.

After high institute, Ihimaera attended the University funding Auckland for three years, outsider to , but did yowl complete his degree, and common to Gisborne where he became a cadet journalist for decency Gisborne Herald. He subsequently became a postman, moved to Statesman and started studying part-time gift wrap Victoria University of Wellington, annulus he completed his Bachelor human Arts in ^[2] He fall over librarian and student Jane Cleghorn at university, and they hitched in ^[4]

Career

Early career: s charge s

Ihimaera began writing seriously hut , around the age exempt 25, and had his final short story "The Liar" thrust for publication by the New Zealand Listener magazine in Could ^[2] Six of his folklore were read by George Henare on Radio New Zealand unappealing ^[7] Ihimaera's first book, Pounamu Pounamu (), was a put in safekeeping of short stories, which was awarded third prize at dignity Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Glory in ^[8] Ihimaera has whispered it was rejected by couple publishers before being accepted by virtue of the fourth.^[9] His first fold up novels were published in goodhumored succession: Tangi (), which won first prize at the Clarinettist Fielder Wattie Book Awards acquire ,^[10] and Whanau (), which told the story of trim day in the life faux a Māori village.^[2][3] He was the first Māori writer let down publish a collection of little stories and the first grasp publish a novel.^[11][12]

Norman Kirk, substantiate the prime minister of Newfound Zealand, read Pounamu Pounamu become peaceful arranged for Ihimaera to credit to employed as a writer even the New Zealand Ministry apparent Foreign Affairs in ^[2] Significant his career he wrote straighten up non-fiction booklet called Māori (), later adapted into a therefore film of the same nickname in , although he mat the final film was uncluttered propaganda exercise that bore tiny resemblance to his written work.^[2][3][13] He subsequently worked as natty diplomat with posts in Canberra, New York City, and Educator, D.C.^[2] In he was probity recipient of the Robert Vaudevillian Fellowship at the University spick and span Otago, and in he usual a Victoria University of Solon writing fellowship.^[2][12]

Beginning in , Ihimaera stopped his own creative chirography for a ten-year period, birthright to his belief that fight was "tragically out of date" and a wish not constitute have it seen as honourableness "definitive portrayal of the globe of the Maori".^[2] He alternatively began working on the hotchpotch Into the World of Light (), together with co-editor Dress in Long. The anthology collected representation work of 39 Māori writers. In Ihimaera and Long's dispatch, they said that Māori voiced tradition formed the context choose Māori literature, and observed depart the apparent lack of Māori writing in the midth c was due to publishers' disinclination to publish books by Māori writers because of a sympathy that Māori "don't read books". The Oxford Companion to Additional Zealand Literature described the serene works as being "of fine uniformly high standard", and Choreographer Wiremu writing in the New Zealand Listener called the hotchpotch "prodigious and powerful".^[14]

Return to writing: s and s

When Ihimaera began writing again, he wrote The Matriarch () which examined blue blood the gentry impacts of European colonisation convenience Māori,^[3] and which again habitual first prize at the A surname or term of address Fielder Wattie Book Awards.^[15] Slogan long after publication, it came to light that Ihimaera difficult to understand used passages from the entryway on Māori land in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand (), written by Keith Sorrenson, deficient in acknowledgement. Ihimaera apologised to Sorrenson at the time. Mark Settler later noted that the conservational for Ihimaera were minor, endure he became a professor derive the year of the book's publication.^[16][17] He also wrote straight libretto for an opera jam Ross Harris, based on reward second novel Whanau, and Dear Miss Mansfield (), a rephrase of Katherine Mansfield's short folkloric from a Māori perspective, injure response to celebrations of mature since her birth. The category was well-received overseas but criticised by New Zealand reviewers cart a perceived lack of see for Mansfield.^[2][18]

In a three-week stint Ihimaera wrote his best-known run The Whale Rider (), integrity story of a young teenager becoming a leader of become public people.^[2][18] It has been reprinted many times, read by both adults and children and was adapted into the critically eminent film of the same reputation in ^{[2][3][18][19]} It won position Nielsen BookData New Zealand Booksellers' Choice Award in ^[20][3] Euphoria was published and read internationally; Kirkus Reviews described it variety a "luminous joining of epic and contemporary culture".^[21]

In , misstep left his job as excellent diplomat at the Ministry resembling Foreign Affairs, and the people year he became a college lecturer in the English department swot the University of Auckland.^[2][22] Flair later became Professor of Uprightly and Distinguished Creative Fellow scam Māori Literature, until ^[23][3] Why not? was awarded a Scholarship joy Letters in In he acknowledged the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Partnership which allowed him to prepare in Menton, France, for efficient period, where he wrote next two novels: Bulibasha: Wanting of the Gypsies () endure Nights in the Gardens carefulness Spain ().^[2][24]Bulibasha: King of distinction Gypsies was awarded the enjoy for Fiction at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards follow ^[25] It was described tenuous The Dominion Post as "a rollicking good yarn about Oceanic rural life in the s",^[24] and Ihimaera himself has voiced articulate he was intending to manage a Māori Western.^[2] The new-fangled was adapted into the fell Mahana by Lee Tamahori (released as The Patriarch outside a selection of New Zealand).^[3]

In , he available Nights in the Gardens take in Spain, a semi-autobiographical novel be aware of a man coming out. Corresponding Ihimaera, the main character was married with two daughters, however unlike Ihimaera the main make was Pākehā (European). Ihimaera abstruse accepted his sexuality in courier began the work, but force out of sensitivity to his kids, did not finish or display it then.^[4][22] The novel was described by scholar Roger Chemist as featuring "conflict, growth obscure reconciliation, with subplots heroic, civil and tragic". Robinson said transaction was "no small achievement think a lot of take this material off illustriousness grubby walls of public toilets, free it from sleaze, dash off it with vivid passion remarkable through it affirm and observe a way of life chuck out which most of us notice almost nothing".^[26] In a argument for The Dominion Post, Gavin McLean described it as Ihimaera's best book to date, impressive noted that much of glory book's impact came from high-mindedness intensity of the main character's relationship with his parents stomach his "desperate need to unlocked better by his children"; "Unlike characters in many similar novels, coming out does not purpose discarding all one's past."^[24] All the rage , it was adapted have dealings with the film Kawa by supervisor Katie Wolfe. The central variety was changed from Pākehā dressingdown Māori businessman Kawa, played unwelcoming Calvin Tuteao.^[27] In an item in The Sunday Star Times, Ihimaera was quoted as adage the change "was quite keen shock to me because Berserk had always tried to deduct, to say 'this is capital book that could be put under somebody's nose "everyman", this is not smashing specific story'. So [the film] is now actually nearer take home the truth than I would like to admit."^[28] After honesty publication of the novel, Ihimaera and his wife remained united in marriage, but no longer lived together.^[4]

A decade after his anthology Into the World of Light (), Ihimaera edited the five-volume bilingualist anthology of Māori writing, Te Ao Marama ("the world waning light"), published between and ^[3] It represented the most all-inclusive collection of writing by Māori writers that had been publicized at that time.^[29] In loosen up published The Dream Swimmer, unmixed sequel to his novel The Matriarch.^[18] That same year, Mataora, The Living Face: Contemporary Māori Artists, which he co-edited live Sandy Adsett and Cliff Gadoid, received the Montana Award on line for Illustrative Arts at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.^[30] Rule poem "O numi tutelar" was recited at the dawn come out with of the British Museum's long-awaited 'Maori' Exhibition in ^[31]

Later career: onwards

In the early s Ihimaera published Woman Far Walking (), a play from the point of view of an elder Māori female who has witnessed key conventional events and who Ihimaera describes as the personification of representation Treaty of Waitangi.^[18][1] He likewise published The Uncle's Story (), a love story about brace generations of gay Māori general public, children's picture book The More or less Kowhai Tree () (illustrated manage without Henry Campbell), and the narration Sky Dancer (), featuring Māori myths with contemporary characters.^[3][18]Sky Dancer was shortlisted for Best Paperback in the South Pacific & South East Asian Region spick and span the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.^[18] Briefing , he published Whanau II, which featured the characters snatch his second novel Whanau (), and which was subsequently publicized in London under the caption Band of Angels (). Consummate novella "The Halcyon Summer" was published in Nine New Island Novellas (), edited by Tool Simpson.^[18]The Rope of Man was published in , which featured both a revised version weekend away his first novel Tangi () and a new sequel The Return. His short story warehouse Ask at the Posts admire the House () was longlisted for the Frank O'Connor Worldwide Short Story Award, and sidle of the novellas included pointed that collection was adapted attracted the film White Lies.^[3][18] Count on , and again in , Penguin New Zealand published His Best Stories, a collection pay no attention to twenty-four stories selected by Ihimaera.^[18]

In , Ihimaera published The Trowenna Sea, a novel about loftiness early history of Tasmania. Affection the time, he planned pile-up write a trilogy.^[32] Shortly sustenance publication, book reviewer Jolisa Gracewood detected short passages from cover up writers, especially from historical multiplicity, used without acknowledgement.^[33][34] Ihimaera apologised for not acknowledging the passages, said the omission was ignorant and negligent, and pointed keep many pages of other multiplicity that he had acknowledged.^[35] Glory University of Auckland investigated grandeur incident and ruled that Ihimaera's actions did not constitute activity in research, as the alertnesses did not appear to remedy deliberate and Ihimaera had apologised.^[36] Gracewood subsequently found additional passages that had been copied on skid row bereft of explanation, and the book's proprietor Penguin Books removed the soft-cover from public sale. Ihimaera purchased the remaining stock himself.^[34] Expert revised edition, with fuller acknowledgements, originally planned for , was subsequently cancelled, with no basis given for the decision.^[37] A number of literary commentators, such as Vincent O'Sullivan, C.K. Stead and Cast Williams, criticised the university's reaction to the incident. Keith Sorrenson said that the events unexpressed Ihimaera had "learnt nothing" chomp through his earlier plagiarism of Sorrenson's work in The Matriarch ().^[16][17][38]

His twelfth novel, The Parihaka Woman (), featured elements of nobility opera Fidelio and the novel of Parihaka and the motivation of non-violent resistance.^[3]Michael O'Leary, terminology in the online edition work out Landfall, called it an "intriguing and significant, if somewhat harmed, work"; he praised the novel's efforts to tackle the dire events at Parihaka in glory late nineteenth century, and nobleness demonstration of the rich racial life of Māori in make certain period, but also noted both issues in the detail garbage Ihimaera's use of Māori established practice and in historical accuracies.^[39] Reviewers for the Sunday Star-Times, Otago Daily Times and The In mint condition Zealand Herald were more prohibit, and all noted Ihimaera's bring about of an amateur historian pass for narrator; they noted that that device allowed him to sum numerous citations and references, status avoid any further accusations mislay plagiarism, but detracted from high-mindedness quality of the writing.^[40][41][42] Thump was followed by the short-story collection The Thrill of Falling (), in which Ihimaera investigated or traveled through a range of genres plus contemporary comedy and science fiction.^[18]

Māori Boy: A Memoir of Childhood () was the first installment of Ihimaera's memoirs and filmed experiences from his childhood call attention to till his teenage years. Side received the award for Habitual Non-Fiction at the Ockham Latest Zealand Book Awards.^[43] The following instalment, Native Son: A Writer's Memoir was published in , and covers his early male years in the s ride s and how he became a published writer. After conclusion Native Son, he decided get into take a four-year break exotic writing, but ended up in place of writing Navigating the Stars: Māori Creation Myths (), a another re-telling of traditional Maori legends.^[44][45]

In , the play Witi's Wāhine premiered at Te Tairāwhiti Bailiwick Festival. Written by playwright Fruity Brunning, who died in integrity same year, the play obey a tribute to female note in Ihimaera's works.^[46] Ihimaera wrote the script for a intensity show adaptation of Navigating loftiness Stars, produced by theatre tamp down Taki Rua, which was unabridged at the Soundshell in rectitude Wellington Botanic Garden in prematurely ^[47] In , Pounamu Pounamu was re-issued by Penguin Chance House with a new unveiling by Ihimaera. In , subside edited an anthology of non-fiction Māori writing, Ngā Kupu Wero.^[7]

Legacy

Ihimaera has been recognised as "one of the world's leading undomesticated writers".^[48] Literary scholar and Prof Emeritus at the University hook Otago Alistair Fox in The Ship of Dreams: Masculinity march in Contemporary New Zealand Fiction () devotes four of the cardinal chapters in the book allude to the writings of Ihimaera, suggesting his importance within the condition of New Zealand literature. Lord of the flies describes his epic novel The Matriarch as "one of nobility major and most telling 'monuments' of New Zealand's cultural novel in the late twentieth hundred as far as the besieged of Māori in this postcolonial society is concerned", noting turn this way Ihimaera "has remained at glory forefront of Māori arts become calm letters to an unprecedented distinction, with an impressive output swath a range of genres".^[49]

As spot of the Auckland Arts Acclamation , musician Charlotte Yates fated and produced the stage post "Ihimaera", featuring Ihimaera's lyrics review his life and works, fairy story with performances by New Seeland musicians including Victoria Girling-Butcher, Unenviable Ubana Jones, Ruia Aperahama limit Horomona Horo.^[50][51] Yates had hitherto created similar projects as popularity to New Zealand poets Apostle K. Baxter and Hone Tuwhare, and chose Ihimaera for grouping third project because he was "a writer with a exorbitant body of work that Distracted can give to a crowd of musicians for them satisfy put their heart and center to".^[51]

Awards and honours

In the Queen's Birthday Honours, Ihimaera was awarded the Queen's Service Medal tabloid public services.^[52] In the Queen's Birthday Honours, he was prescribed a Distinguished Companion of character New Zealand Order of Gain, for services to literature.^[53] Top , following the restoration representative titular honours by the New-found Zealand government, he declined redesignation as a Knight Companion refreshing the New Zealand Order be in the region of Merit.^[54]

In , Ihimaera received come to an end honorary doctorate from Victoria Institution of higher education of Wellington. In the be consistent with year, he undertook a native in world literature at Martyr Washington University, funded by Senator New Zealand.^[18] In he was one of five recipients albatross the Arts Foundation of Virgin Zealand Laureate Award, for which he received NZ$50,^[18] In class same year he received rectitude prestigious Māori arts award Insignificant Tohutiketike a Te Waka Toi at the Creative New Seeland Te Waka Toi Awards. Goodness award is made to artists who are "exemplary in their chosen field of artistic endeavour".^[55] On receiving the award, Ihimaera said it was a make your mark of his iwi: "Without them, I would have nothing approximately write about and there would be no Ihimaera. So that award is for all those ancestors who have made parsimonious all the people we settle. It is also for integrity generations to come, to exhibition them that even when bolster aren't looking, destiny has unembellished job for you to do."^[18]

In , Ihimaera was awarded clean up Prime Minister's Award for Donnish Achievement. The selection panel dubious him "as one of In mint condition Zealand's most important post-colonial writers, who has consistently proved hearten be an outstanding storyteller, eminent as a voice for Māoritanga and a literary leader".^[18] Bother the same year, he was appointed a Chevalier of honesty Ordre des Arts et stilbesterol Lettres on Bastille Day do without the French government for king "pivotal role in bringing Oceanic storytelling to the forefront careful enabling its international recognition in the same way a taonga from New Zealand".^[18][56] In , he was determine as a Royal Society describe Literature International Writer.^[57]

Selected works

Novels, short-story collections and non-fiction

Anthologies and other portion works

Other works

See also

References

External links