Get on the Waka
Ihimaera, WitiA collection of fiction writing by Maori since 2000, selected and with an introduction by Witi Ihimaera. It showcases 17 stories and extracts from established writers, most of whom have won awards and recognition in New Zealand and overseas. Contributors include: Patricia Grace; Alan Duff; Paula Morris; Kelly Ana Morey; Witi Ihimaera; and others. NZ Interest.
Comments from Groups
We were varied in our response..... We felt it had great 'voice' ... Several of us plan to buy it for our own personal libraries. Upper Hut 001 There were many varying comments about the book. Most people enjoyed the stories and many thought that it was an important collection of stories and will prove to be so in the future of New Zealand writing.....Waikanai 001 A fascinating and varied collection of stories incorporating some salutary tales. Auckland 58The anthology gave rise to lively discussion. The majority were not short story fans, but for the most part enjoyed the writing.... Picton 002
Pages
184
184
Year
2007
2007
Reviews
13-10-2022
An interesting but challenging read - most of us are very familiar with Maori/N.Z. fiction but found the selections of writing inaccessible at times, especially the 'extracts', lacking wider context. Great discussion.
13-10-2022
We liked the various backgrounds of the stories - interesting to have so many different timeframes and landscapes.
13-10-2022
We were all pleased that we read this book as none of us had previously read any Maori fiction. We enjoyed the fact that it was short stories with a variety of themes. It emphasised to us the differences in our cultures and lives. We'd have liked a glossary in this book - some of the stories were difficult to understand without one.
13-10-2022
Many stories were read and enjoyed, though a few left group members puzzled as to their endings. Some of us just picked a few. Patricia Grace's was among the most appreciated.
13-10-2022
We had a surprisingly good discussion out of this book, as we all found some of the stories hard to read and hard to understand. We certainly gained another perspective on life in N.Z.
13-10-2022
Glossary of Maori words would have been helpful.
13-10-2022
We found this book very challenging and in some cases quite depressing - which is probably as intended. Overall, an interesting read - especially the shock of the ending of 'Kissing Shadows' by Renee.
13-10-2022
A mixed response to the book. Those who read it all enjoyed it, but half gave up on starting.
13-10-2022
The cover is very boring but the book is very interesting, and we encourage people to give it a go. Most enjoyed the majority of the stories.
24-06-2020
We found this book very interesting and it generated a good discussion. Some members found some of the pieces very challenging and two did not read them all. We thought we gained many insights into aspects of Maori life and Maoritanga, particularly the relationship between past and present and the recognition of the spirit world. We were impressed by the budding young writers and by the depth and maturity of the work by Patricia Grace. Witi Ihimaera's short story raised many issues about literature which we did not really pursue.