Witi Ihimaera

Witi Ihimaera is a New Zealand author raised in Waituhi, and he was the first Māori writer to publish a short story collection, Pounamu, Pounamu, and the first to publish a novel, Tangi. He is best known for The Whale Rider, a 1987 novel later adapted into the 2002 film Whale Rider, and much of his writing examines contemporary Māori culture, legends and the impacts of colonisation. His other books include Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Sky Dancer and The Matriarch.