HBRW 2026 - Witi Ihimaera & Rediscovering Te Reo

One of this country’s most distinguished and beloved authors, Witi Ihimaera Smiler returns to Festival, chatting to Lauren Keenan about his new memoir, The Swimmer. The book describes Witi’s decision at eighty to return to fulltime study, immersing himself in his own language, te reo Māori. It’s the inspirational story of a Māori New Zealander reclaiming his voice, history and whakapapa, by starting, as Witi himself says, at the beginning again. A session not to be missed wherever you are on your te reo Māori journey.

About the Authors

Witi Ihimaera Smiler DCNZM, QSM, was born in Gisborne and is of Te Whānau-a-Kai, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Porou descent with connections to Tūhoe, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri. Diplomat, professor and one of Aotearoa’s most distinguished living writers, his many books include Pounamu, Pounamu (1972), The Matriarch (1986) and The Whale Rider (1987), made into a hugely successful film in 2002 and also translated into te reo Māori by Tīmoti Kāretu. He has received numerous awards, including the Wattie Book of the Year, the Montana Book Award and a Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement. In 2004 he became a Distinguished Companion of the Order of New Zealand and in 2017 France made him Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He is, today, recognised as one of the world’s leading contemporary indigenous authors and thinkers. He lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.

Lauren Keenan (Te Āti Awa ki Taranaki) is an award-winning writer of historical fiction, children's books and creative non-fiction. Her bestselling debut novel The Space Between was a national bestseller, and she returns with the sweeping historical novel The Other Catherine.

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