Witi Ihimaera DCNZM, QSM, was born in Gisborne and is of Te Aitanga-ā-Mahaki, 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 (1985) and The Whale Rider (1987), made into a hugely successful film in 2002 and also translated into Māori by Tīmoti Kāretu. He has received numerous awards, including the Wattie Book of the Year Award, 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.

Other book by this author:
Includes, but not limited to: Pounamu, Pounamu (1972), The Matriarch (1985) and The Whale Rider (1987)