Witi Tame Ihimaera Smiler (QSM, DCNZM) is one of Aotearoa’s (or New Zealand’s) leading Māori writers in English, producing not only novels and short stories, but also books for children, non-fiction, plays, libretti, and texts for television. He was born on 7th February 1944, in Gisborne, on the East Coast of the North Island. His father was Te Haa-o-Ruhia (Tom) Ihimaera Smiler, rangatira (chief) of the Te Whānau-a-Kai iwi (tribe), and his mother was Turi-teretimana (Julia) Keelan of the Ngāti Porou iwi. Ihimaera also has tribal affiliations with Te Aitanga A Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Kahungunu, Te Whanau A Apanui, Tuhoe and Te Whakatohea.
Whakapapa or genealogies are traced in, and account for, a significant part of his work. “What my parents and all those aunts and
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Citation: Oettli-van Delden, Simone. "Witi Tame Ihimaera". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 April 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2295, accessed 27 November 2024.]
