Author(s): Witi Ihimaera

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.