Tributes flow for renowned poet Hone Tuwhare
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Haere, haere, haere te rangatira. Hone Tuwhare, one of New Zealand's most celebrated poets, has passed away. Hone Tuwhare was New Zealand's most distinguished Maori poet writing in English, and also a playwright and author of short fiction.
Prime Minister Helen Clark paid tribute to Hone Tuwhare for his outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature.
"As the Arts Foundation acknowledged in 2003, when honouring him with its distinguished Icon Award, his work has remained committed to Maori issues, while also highlighting multicultural issues and issues of concern to working people."
TVNZ On Demand has an undated profile video with Tuwhare discussing influences and a poetry reading from The Globe Theatre in Dunedin (pictured)."Hone's death will be felt deeply by all who valued his lifetime contribution to New Zealand literature. My thoughts are with his whanau and close friends at this sad time," Helen Clark said.
Hone died at 3.45pm at Ross Home in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for the Tai Tokerau, said Hone Tuwhare was a great artist and philosopher whose real talent was his simplicity.
"You just have to look at his poetry, to see his love of people, and his deep sadness at the impacts of man on the world," said Harawira.
"And as a son of the north, it's nice to know that he'll be coming home to Kaikohe to rest among his tupuna".
Born in 1922 in Kaikohe and of Nga Puhi decent, Hone began to write whilst an apprentice at the Otahuhu Railway Workshops, encouraged by fellow poet RAK. Mason.
His first collection, No Ordinary Sun (1964), was the first book of poetry by a Maori writer in English. Now in it's tenth impression, it remains one of the most widely read individual collections of poetry in New Zealand literary history.
While in Dunedin as a Burns Fellow, Hone met painter Ralph Hotere, who provided the illustrations for his next four volumes: Come Rain Hail (1970), Sap-Wood & Milk (1972), Something Nothing (1974) and Making a Fist of It: Poems and Short Stories (1978).
During the 1970s Hone became involved in Maori cultural and political initiatives. His international reputation also grew: there were invitations to visit both China and Germany, leading, among other opportunities, to the publication of Was wirklicher ist als Sterben in 1985.
While his earlier poems were kept in print, new work was constantly added. Hone's play, In the Wilderness Without a Hat, was published in 1991. Three further collections of poetry followed: Short Back and Sideways: Poems & Prose (1992), Deep River Talk (1993), and Shape-Shifter (1997).
In 1998 Janet Hunt wrote Hone Tuwhare. A Biography published by Godwit Press, Random House in Auckland. A year later he was named New Zealand's second Te Mata Poet Laureate, the outcome of which was Piggy-Back Moon (2002).
Since receiving his Icon Award, Hone was awarded the inaugural, $60,000 Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement for poetry in 2003. The other winners were Janet Frame for fiction; and Michael King for non-fiction.
In 2005, Tuwhare received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from The University of Auckland. In the same year Steele Roberts published Oooooo.....!!!, a collection of diverse new poems.
He was the subject of a film portrait directed by Gaylene Preston (Laureate 2001) titled Hone Tuwhare (1996) and a documentary The Return Home (2004) screened at the Telecom Film Festival and has had a compilation album of his poems set to music by New Zealand musicians'. Tuwhare the compilation album was also the basis for a special concert of top New Zealand recording artists at the 2006 NZ International Arts Festival.
Hone's Icon medallion (designed by John Edgar) and his Te Mata Estate Poet Laureate carved tokotoko, are housed at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery Niho o te Taniwha in Gore.
More information
New Zealand Book Council writers file.
Auckland University Library's New Zealand Literature File
Make a Tribute: Use the comment box below if you would like to leave a tribute to Hone Tuwhare.
Tributes
Prime Minister Helen Clark
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Parekura Horomia
Minister for Maori Affairs
Hone Harawira
Maori Party MP for the Tai Tokerau
Mahara Okeroa
Associate Minister of Arts Culture and Heritage
17/01/08