Author(s): Witi Ihimaera

NZ Fiction | NZ Fiction

Pounamu Pounamu is classic Ihimaera and also classic New Zealand literature. First published in 1972, it was Witi's first book, which as he says in the new introduction 'fulfilled a childhood vow- to write about Maori using his own self and home place'. The vivid stories in this collection not only explore but also celebrate what it is like to be a New Zealander, and they do so from a lively Maori perspective. The seeds of Ihimaera's later works were first introduced in this ground-breaking collection- The Whale Rider in his story 'The Whale'; The Rope of Man in 'Tangi'; the character of Simeon from Bulibasha, King of the Gypsies in 'One Summer Morning'; and the themes of aroha (love), whanaungatanga (kinship) and manaakitanga (supporting each other), which are so integral to Ihimaera's work.