Witi Ihimaera hummed a tune while Saikat Majumdar, sitting beside him, aired his observations on the writer one by one. The Maori writer, with a twinkle of mischievousness, the kind that springs from childish innocence, smiled all the time during the interaction. And sometimes laughed. The laughter was as radiant as the rose petals which graced the room. Saritha Saraswathy Balan listens in
The venue was the New Zealand High Commissioner to India Grahame Morton’s residence and there were, by choice, only up to 30 people who had thoroughly read Ihimaera. One of them asked what he would prefer to be known as — a happy writer or a lonely writerIJ “Everything” was Ihimaera’s response. “There can’t be a particular condition for living. There can’t be a border. I know we can do better”, he said.
Fortunately or unfortunately, literature is consumed mostly by the elite, so how would you make space for the young or the rawIJ “My opinion is that we can make space by understanding what a community needs. Perhaps this might be the solution. People may disagree. But there needs to be conflict, conflict and conflict and resolution, resolution and resolution”, he asserted by standing up and hitting on the dais.
The author, who is widely acknowledged for his sensibilities for environmental issues, said that this is the time to come up with stories on climate change. “Relation with the nature is not of the Western kind. It’s a relation constantly with man and nature, inter connection between human environment and nature”, said the author, who had unambiguously declared that “the world I’m in as being Maori, not European.”
As mentioned repeatedly by Saikat Majumdar, a professor of English and author himself, one of the most popular themes of Ihimaera is the clash between tradition and modernity. “Your works are deeply social and historical, but romantic in quality,” said Majumdar making Ihimaera laugh. “My preference was how I will present the stories”, replied the author, smiling.
Witi Ihimaera was the first Maori writer to publish both novel and short stories and since then has published many notable novels and collection of short stories. He has also written for stage and screen, edited books on the arts and culture, as well as published various works for children. His best-known novel is The Whale Rider, which was made into a hugely successful film in 2002.
He has also had careers in diplomacy, teaching, theatre, opera, film and television. Receiving the premiere Maori arts award —Te Tohutiketike a Te Waka Toi — he had said, “To be given Maoridom’s highest cultural award, well, it’s recognition of the community. Without them, I would have nothing to write about and there would be no Ihimaera. So this award is for all those ancestors who have made us all the people we are. It is also for the generations to come, to show them that even when you aren’t looking, destiny has a job for you to do.”
It was not surprising that he wound up the interaction by thanking the rivers, seas, animals, fishes and humans, each holding a distinguished position of its own in his view.