Witi's Wāhine

Guided by their sharpness of wit, keen powers of observation and the foresight to bend the elements to their will... Witi’s Wāhine pays tribute to the true stars of Witi Ihimaera’s novels – those indomitable female characters so beloved by readers.

Witi’s Wāhine, written by Nancy Brunning (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngai Tuhoe) is lovingly crafted from excerpts from Witi's semi-autobiographical collection of short stories and novels. Our heroines take you on an epic journey across their history, their mythology, their cultural consciousness – as we recognise the passion, truth and spirit of mana wāhine.

Witi’s Wāhine brings to life remarkable female characters from novels such as The Matriarch, Whānau, Pounamu Pounamu and more in an evening that will ignite your deepest instincts of a people in metamorphosis.

This event is part of Matariki Lighting The Beacons Festival – a month-long arts festival stretching right across Kāpiti during the month of July 2021 to celebrate Matariki.