The Whale Rider
About the book
Kahu confronts her grandfather’s belief that a girl cannot lead their Māori community.
PolishTranslation
Jeździec na wielorybie
Replika · 2006
Translated by Janusz Ruszkowski
Edition source ↗Oceania · A READING GUIDE
New Zealand
The Whale Rider offers an accessible beginning, while Potiki follows a Māori community defending its land. No Ordinary Sun opens a poetry route; Auē and Once Were Warriors confront families and violence. Choose Mansfield for short stories, or Janet Frame and Keri Hulme for experimental fiction. The Luminaries offers an expansive gold-rush mystery, while Mister Pip travels to Bougainville, reminding readers that an author’s country need not be the setting.
WHERE TO START
- The Whale RiderWiti Ihimaera
- PotikiPatricia Grace
- The Garden Party and Other StoriesKatherine Mansfield
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
Potiki
About the book
A small coastal community defends its home against developers.
The Garden Party and Other Stories
About the book
Fifteen stories explore unspoken feelings in everyday life in New Zealand and Europe.
Owls Do Cry
About the book
The story of the Withers family follows Daphne’s upbringing and institutionalisation.
The Bone People
About the book
Reclusive Kerewin becomes entangled with a non-speaking boy and his foster father.
The Luminaries
About the book
During the gold rush, lives in Hokitika intertwine in a mystery of disappearance, death and concealed wealth.
PolishTranslation
Wszystko, co lśni
Wydawnictwo Literackie
Translated by Maciej Świerkocki
Edition source ↗
Once Were Warriors
About the book
The Heke family’s story confronts violence, poverty and identity in an urban Māori community.
Mister Pip
About the book
On conflict-torn Bougainville, reading Dickens becomes Matilda’s way of understanding the world.
The Vintner's Luck
About the book
Meetings with an angel transform the life of French vintner Sobran Jodeau.
Greta & Valdin
About the book
Auckland siblings navigate love and everyday life within a sprawling family of Māori, Russian and Catalonian heritage.
Auē
About the book
After losing their parents, two brothers seek a place in a family shaped by violence and the need for connection.
No Ordinary Sun
About the book
The Māori poet’s first collection explores life, community and the threat of nuclear destruction.
Birnam Wood
About the book
A guerrilla gardening collective encounters an American billionaire with plans for the same land.
The Axeman’s Carnival
About the book
Rescued magpie Tama witnesses a collapsing marriage while becoming an online celebrity.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
- Witi Ihimaera — Penguin ↗
- Patricia Grace — Penguin ↗
- Katherine Mansfield — Penguin ↗
- Janet Frame — literary estate ↗
- Keri Hulme — Penguin eBooks ↗
- Eleanor Catton — Granta ↗
- Alan Duff — Penguin ↗
- Lloyd Jones — Text Publishing ↗
- Elizabeth Knox — Te Herenga Waka University Press ↗
- Rebecca K. Reilly — Te Herenga Waka University Press ↗
- Becky Manawatu — Mākaro Press ↗
- Hone Tuwhare — Blackwood and Janet Paul ↗
- Birnam Wood — Te Herenga Waka University Press ↗
- The Axeman’s Carnival — Europa Editions ↗
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