Author(s): Paula Morris

Maori Fiction | NZ Fiction | Historical Fiction

Gottfried Lindauer, the Bohemian painter, is about to sail to England. He's just begun work on a painting of the Ngati Wai rangatira (chief) Paratene Te Manu when into his studio walks Paratene himself. Hearing of Lindauer's planned trip to England reminds Paratene of his own journey there in 1863 with a party of Northern rangatira. Over the next three days, as he sits for Lindauer, Paratene retreats deeper and deeper into the past, from the triumphant meetings with royalty and aristocracy to the disintegration of the trip into estrangement, poverty, and mistrust.

>> Title 9 in the innovative KOTAHI RAU PUKAPUKA Series: 100 Books in Te Reo Māori In October 2019, the Prime Minister launched Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust with its mission to publish 100 Books in te reo Māori. With early backing from iwi, corporate and private philanthropy, along with Creative New Zealand and Te Mātāwai, Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust is building a whare pukapuka, a great library of books in te reo Māori, that every home and school will be proud to own: from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Dr. Seuss, from Te Puea to Rangatira. Bookstores have been experiencing a surge of interest in te reo books, but while there is a number of children’s and popular teaching books, for those language learners coming out of kura kaupapa or university classes, there is currently almost nothing to read. Fewer than 10 books for adults have been published in te reo Māori over the last decade. Kotahi Rau Pukapuka is changing that. Join the kaupapa with Kotahi Rau Pukapuka at www.kotahiraupukapuka.org.nz