{"product_id":"9781776712380","title":"Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer : I te Ao o te Reo","description":"\u003cp\u003eNovelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera - author of�Pounamu, Pounamu�and�The Whale Rider�- decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full time at Te Wananga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Maori.   This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year i te ao o te reo - of sinking and floating; of loss and shame, connection and wairua; of fathers and teachers, kuia and friends.   A riveting and revealing memoir,�Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer�sparkles with whaikorero and whakatauki and is written for all - Maori and Pakeha, fluent reo Maori speakers and those for whom the language is still a mystery, a dream, an aspiration.   It is the story of a Maori New Zealander reclaiming his voice, history and whakapapa in contemporary Aotearoa. Of becoming�Witi Ihimaera Smiler and drawing closer to his desire to write a novel in te reo for his beloved father Tom and his tipuna.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Bookmonger","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":59638951510350,"sku":"9781776712380","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0874\/5795\/6174\/files\/9781776712380_a24a5a6c-c87a-44c0-985f-a184d9c5c09c.jpg?v=1779393361","url":"https:\/\/thebookmongerbearsden.co.uk\/products\/9781776712380","provider":"The Bookmonger","version":"1.0","type":"link"}