KOHA. POET HONE TŪWHARE

Hone Tūwhare received national acclaim in 1964 with the publication of his first anthology of poems, “No Ordinary Sun”. It has since been reprinted seven times, a New Zealand record for verse. Some of his oratory probably has its origins in Māori karakia and incantations.

Born in Kaikohe, Northland in 1922, Tūwhare attended [Beresford Primary] school in Auckland where he began to show a natural gift for words. Later he served a five year apprenticeship at the Ōtāhuhu Railway Workshops. True recognition came in the late 1960s when he was offered a Burns Fellowship at Otago University, where he wrote most of his verse, short stories and plays. For 11 years, he shared a large house with retired professors and academics. A wonderful view of Dunedin from his tiny room often sparked inspirations for new poems, including five volumes: Come Rain, Hail; Sapwood and Milk; Something, Nothing; Making A Fist of It and Selected Works. He has also published short stories and three plays yet to be performed. He finds Dunedin exhilarating - his closest friends live here, including artist Ralph Hotere.