Witi Ihimaera: Tekoteko Cradled in Loving Arms

Acclaimed New Zealand writer Witi Ihimaera launched his memoir Native Son at Going West in 2019. He gave a powerful and emotional reading from the book, with sonic accompaniment by the multi-instrumentalist Kingsley Spargo. At Going West, we were extremely honoured to host the launch, for what was the second installment of Ihimaera’s planned three-part memoir. To mark the occasion, he read an evocative passage drawing on ancient Māori legend and wrestling with the trauma of his teen years. Musical polymath Kingsley Spargo provided a rich, multi-layered soundscape to accompany the reading, with diverse techniques on both taonga puoro and orchestral instruments, mixed with innovative use of digital processing. The session was introduced by Harriet Allan from Penguin Random House. Witi Ihimaera is of Te Whānau a Kai, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Tūhoe, Te Whānau ā Apanui and Ngāti Porou descent. He was the first Māori to publish a novel, Tangi, in 1973. He has subsequently gone on to become one of New Zealand’s leading writers. He is passionate about writing Māori stories and creating opportunities for them to be shown not only in print but also in theatre and on film. The first installment of his memoir, Māori Boy, won the 2016 Ockham Award for the best non-fiction work. His play, All Our Sons, won six Wellington theatre awards. He is currently writing the third volume of his memoir.