Bulibasha

About the Author

Witi Ihimaera’s first book for Penguin Random House was Pounamu, Pounamu (1972) and he has subsequently written 13 novels, including The Whale Rider (1987), seven collections of short stories including The Thrill of Falling (2012), and works for children. His most recent book for Penguin Random House is Maori Boy (2014), the first volume of his memoir.

A multi-award-winning writer, Ihimaera has had careers in diplomacy, teaching, opera, theatre, film and television. He has recently taught in the Native Arts Program, Banff Centre, Canada, was Patron of the Rochefort Oceanic Film Festival, France, 2014, and gave the New Zealand Book Council lecture, ‘Where is New Zealand Literature Heading?’ at the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, 2015. He was a Randell Cottage Fellow in 2015 and his play All Our Sons was premiered that same year, winning six Wellington Theatre Awards including Best Play and Best Original Production.

He lives in Auckland.