Few writers have shaped New Zealand literature quite like Witi Ihimaera. Best known for The Whale Rider and a career spanning more than five decades, Witi continues to tell stories that challenge, celebrate and deepen our understanding of Aotearoa. His latest book, Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer: I te Ao o te Reo, is a deeply personal reflection on learning te reo Māori later in life, exploring language, identity and the courage it takes to begin again. We caught up with Witi to talk about the book, writing, coffee and why a noisy cafe is the perfect place to work.
Q: Kia ora Witi, tell us about Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer: I te Ao o te Reo. For someone picking this book up for the first time, what are they diving into?
A: An epic story of one man’s battle with a language that is as exciting as Clash of the Titans, haha ha.
Q: Did writing in te reo change the way you thought about storytelling?
A: I realised that Māori pūrākau (legends) are as great as those of the Greeks. I have set out to show how great in my first book in te reo, which is set in mythical times. The first draft is done, dusted and defeated.
Q: The book talks openly about shame, reconnection and identity. Was that vulnerability difficult?
A: I was 80 when I went back to school to learn te reo. Everybody else was younger than I was. I also had this reputation as being a Māori writer and…whaaat, I didn’t know my own reo? Things are always darkest before they become totally black.
Q: You describe yourself as a swimmer throughout the book. What does that metaphor mean to you now?
A: All those mountainous waves swamped me, I drowned lots of times. But sometimes I managed to get to the top and rest until the next wave came along.
Q: What would you say to someone who wants to learn te reo but feels intimidated?
A: A little reo a day will get you a long way over a month. Te reo is a journey, not a destination. Hmmn, I should say that to myself, eh, to help me when the next wave comes along.
Q: Which comes first: coffee or writing?
A: The job first, the coffee afterwards. Coffee is what I reward myself with.
Q: Are you writing in silence or in a noisy cafe?
A: I’m Māori, so a noisy cafe definitely. I snatch time on my iPad at every available moment, wherever I am. Not easy.
Q: Dog-ear pages or proper bookmarks?
A: Dog-eared. I devour books, woof.
Q: Where’s your favourite place to sit with a book?
A: On a plane, especially long haul to anywhere in the world. I’ll be the one whose reading light is on all night.
Q: Where can we pick up a copy of Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer: I te Ao o te Reo?
A: Come to one of my festival appearances where I will tag myself for you.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
A: I like my flat white Auckland JAFA style, one sugar, lightly stirred.
Pick up a copy of Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer: I te Ao o te Reo at your local bookstore in Aotearoa New Zealand, or enter to win a signed copy on our Instagram.
