GET ON THE WAKA - Best recent Maori fiction

Edited with an introduction by Witi Ihimaera

Reed Publishing $35

It seems to me to be somewhat ironic that in the year that Reed Publishing has been sold they are enjoying a royal year of enormously impressive New Zealand publishing. The goodies just seem to keep coming.

My congratulations to Peter Dowling, Sam Hill and the publishing team for this list. I guess at this stage as the company prepares to be merged into Penguin Books they must wonder what the future holds for them?

This is the third in a series of anthologies all of which have been edited by Witi Ihimaera and what a fine collection these titles make. The earlier titles were Into the World of Light (1982) and Te Ao Marama (1992) which I am delighted to have on my bookshelves.

In this latest volume Ihimaera has showcased 17 of NZ's most established Maori writers including Alan Duff, Keri Hume, Phil Kanawa, Briar Grace-Smith, Patricia Grace, Kingi McKinnon, and Paula Morris.

Also included is a thoughtful introduction from Ihimaera in which he takes stock of the present place that Maori writing holds in New Zealand, and useful potted biographies of the authors.