HBRW 2026 - Witi Ihimaera & Rediscovering Te Reo

One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most celebrated writers, Witi Ihimaera Smiler returns to the Festival to talk with Lauren Keenan about his new memoir, The Swimmer. At the age of 80, Witi made the remarkable decision to return to full-time study and immerse himself in te reo Māori. The Swimmer tells the deeply personal story of reconnecting with his language, history and whakapapa – or, as Witi describes it, beginning again at the beginning. Witi is the acclaimed author of numerous works, including Pounamu, Pounamu, The Matriarch and The Whale Rider, which became an internationally successful film. His distinguished career has earned him numerous literary honours, and he is recognised as one of Aotearoa’s leading contemporary Māori writers and thinkers. Joining him in conversation is Lauren Keenan (Te Āti Awa ki Taranaki), an award-winning author of historical fiction, children’s books and creative non-fiction. Her works include the bestselling The Space Between and historical novel The Other Catherine. An inspiring conversation about language, identity, whakapapa and the possibility of discovering something new at any stage of life.