Tangi

First released 50 years ago, Tangi was Witi Ihimaera’s debut novel and the first to be published by a Māori author. A landmark literary event, it went on to win the James Wattie Book of the Year Award. He was just 29 years old at the time.

At the centre of the novel is the story of a father and son set within a three-day tangihanga. Those who love Pounamu Pounamu will immediately recognise that already present are the hallmarks of classic Ihimaera storytelling.

Revisiting the text for this special anniversary edition, Witi has added richer details and developed the nascent themes that have continued to preoccupy him over a lifetime of writing. Return with him to where it all began.