Witi Ihimaera, one of New Zealand’s leading novelists, short story writers and filmmakers will make his first appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year as part of NZ at Edinburgh 2014
New Zealand’s first published Māori novelist Witi Ihimaera, probably best known for the film adaptation of his book, The Whale Rider (2002), has 14 novels and six short story collections to his credit.
Other films made from his work include Kawa (2011) and White Lies (2013), which was New Zealand’s official entrant to the Academy Awards Best Foreign Film 2014. His novel Bulibasha, King of the Gypsies will be transformed into film by director Lee Tamahori for release in 2015.
At the Festival, Witi will be speaking about the Māori experience in New Zealand. In this significant year for Scotland, Witi is looking forward to talking with Scots colleagues about their shared experiences of colonialism, how nations are represented on film and the ways in which countries maintain their own sovereignty within a globalised world.
Witi’s appearance in Edinburgh is part of NZ at Edinburgh 2014. Over 200 New Zealand artists will travel to Edinburgh this August. Never before has such a large group of leading New Zealand actors, dancers, musicians, writers, Maori performing artists, spoken word and visual artists been invited to perform at the Edinburgh Festivals.
NZ at Edinburgh 2014, supported by the Arts Council of New Zealand (Creative New Zealand), will feature New Zealand artists at seven of the Edinburgh Festivals: the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; the Edinburgh Art Festival; the Edinburgh International Book Festival; the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Included in the season are internationally acclaimed director Lemi Ponifasio and his company MAU; Auckland Theatre Company; composer Gareth Farr; Pasifika theatre group Kila Kokonut Krew; pianist Michael Houstoun; Te Matatini’s national kapa haka champions; dance company Black Grace and many more. www.nzatedinburgh.com
Listings Information:
DIALOGUE 5: IDENTITY
Fri 15 Aug 7:00pm – 8:15pm
The Guardian Spiegeltent
£10.00, £8.00
WHAT DOES NATIONAL IDENTITY MEAN IN THE DIGITAL AGE?
If globalisation has been an epoch-defining idea over the past 100 years, it has been balanced by an equally important desire for a locally-based sense of identity. What does that local or national identity look like for people who have settled far away from their original home? And how does the internet affect local traditions? Scotland-based writer Meaghan Delahunt and New Zealander Witi Ihimaera join a dialogue with Glasgow University’s Alan Riach.
Part of the Dialogues series of events.
IMAGE A NATION: LANGUAGE AND NATIONS
Sun 17 Aug 5:00pm – 6:00pm
ScottishPower Foundation Studio
£10.00, £8.00
www.edbookfest.co.uk
SCREEN ADAPTATIONS OF NOVELS
TV and film adaptations change the way we view our favourite novels. Whether it’s Trainspotting or Wallander, they also have the ability to redefine, re-imagine or distort our image of a nation. Scottish artist Roderick Buchanan, who made a film on Northern Ireland’s marching season, is joined by New Zealand novelist Witi Ihimaera and Cilla and Rolf Börjlind, novelists and scriptwriters for Wallander, to look at the relationship between words and images. Chaired by Edinburgh-based filmmaker Jonathan Ley.
Commonwealth of Words: Language and Nations
Writing Against History
Monday 18 August 2:00pm – 3:00pm
ScottishPower Foundation Studio
£10, £8
In the 21st century are we now beyond the idea of post-colonial writing? Is this possible or are writers from the Commonwealth always writing against history, the English language and the perception of the literary canon? Discussing the issues are Witi Ihimaera, author of White Lies and the international bestseller The Whale Rider, and Rana Dasgupta whose novel Solo won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
Part of The Empire Café series of events
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
