History of legendary waka makes Ockhams shortlist

Written by creative writing alumnus Jeff Evans, the story of a legendary waka  connected to the craft that brought Polynesian navigator Kupe to Aotearoa has been shortlisted in the General Non-Fiction category of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Evans is a graduate of the Univeristy of Auckland’s Master of Creative Writing programme and worked on the book during his masters’ year; it's the first time a graduate of the programme has featured in the  nonfiction category of the awards, which is always highly competitive.

Ngātokimatawhaorua, the Biography of a Waka (Massey University Press, 2023) tells the story of the impressive waka’s changing fortunes and the many people associated with them.

Evans’ masters’ examiner, Associate Professor Ngarino Ellis, an art historian at the University who specialises in Māori carving, has called the book "important and compelling", noting that it draws on archival research, published material and interviews with a wide range of people involved in the renaissance of waka and carving in Northland over the past 40 years.

“Written in some ways as an autobiography, Evans ties his prose to his own experiences of learning about the waka and the men who have spent their lives rejuvenating mana waka,” says Ellis.

“The style of writing is powerful, dotted with vignettes of moments in time, and filled with descriptions of the main actors in a story that moves back and forth in time and space, enabling the reader to get some sense of the dynamics involved, and that the story is multi-vocal and complex.”
 

Evans is thankful to have had the opportunity to write about such an important and visible cultural icon, which now sits in the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi.

“Ngātokimatawhaorua has a phenomenal presence that just draws you in. I recommend all New Zealanders visit Waitangi to spend time with it at least once, preferably on a Waitangi Day so they can see it out on the water.”

He says being shortlisted is an honour, “especially this year when you consider the quality of authors I’m rubbing shoulders with. But I see this as recognition primarily for those individuals who sat down with me and shared their memories and experiences of the waka. Without them there is no book; I just happened to be the one that wrote down their stories.”

His own interest in waka started when he completed an overnight leg on the voyaging waka Te Aurere.

"That’s when I got to meet the late Sir Hec Busby, who was the kaitiaki of Ngatokimatawhaorua at the time. I was fascinated by the stories he told of the great waka taua, and the book sprang from that."

Master of Creative Writing convenor in the Faculty of Arts, Associate Professor Paula Morris, says Jeff had published notable books on waka before he did his masters, but wanted to try something new, creative nonfiction – which uses many of the tools of fiction writing to bring stories to life – rather than straight history.

“This is what helps make the story he’s telling so vivid and compelling. I’m delighted  he’s a finalist and that more readers will discover this fascinating book.”

Evans’ book joins three others in the General Non-Fiction category, including a book by former University of Auckland Pro Vice-Chancellor (Pacific) Professor Damon Salesa.
 

Veteran journalist Jim Tully ONZM, convenor of judges for the General Non-Fiction Award, says this year’s entries treated judges to a wide array of narratives – rich life stories; biographies of birds, sea life and waka; and deep investigations into kaupapa, from communes to ora (wellbeing).

“The judges came to the unanimous decision that the final four represent the best of the best – accessible yet robust academic inquiries; novel and unheard stories; and narratives that warm, sadden and unsettle, all within the same cover,” he said.

This year, eleven different publishers were shortlisted across 16 titles. The 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards’ winners will be announced at a public ceremony on 15 May during the 2024 Auckland Writers Festival.