Witi Ihimaera is a celebrated novelist and short story writer from New Zealand, widely recognized as perhaps the foremost contemporary Māori author. His literary contributions are marked by a profound exploration of identity, culture, and the intricate connections between traditional Māori values and the modern world. Ihimaera's distinctive narrative style and rich prose offer readers deep insights into the complexities of his heritage. He is acclaimed for giving voice to the Māori experience, making it accessible and resonant for a global audience.
After the huge international success of the movie adaptation, there can be few New Zealanders who don't know Witi Ihimaera's novel The Whale Rider. The film taken the world by storm, so, to address an international readership, Witi rewrote parts of the work and translated the Maori text.