Witi Ihimaera

Three-time winner of the Wattie Book of the Year award, Katherine Mansfield fellow and playwright, Witi Ihimaera is one of New Zealand's most accomplished writers. Tangi won the Wattie Book of the Year award in 1974, The Matriarch in 1986, and Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies in 1995. His other titles include The Dream Swimmer, Pounamu, Pounamu, Whanau, The New Net Goes Fishing, The Whale Rider, and in 2020 he published Navigating the Stars: Maori Creation Myths. Ihimaera’s writing also opened the door to his political career, and he served as New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1972 and 1983. Ihimaera continues to be a respected commentator on Maori, Pacific and Indigenous peoples' affairs and has been instrumental in gaining support for Maori art and literature.