Briar Grace-Smith

Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Wai, Ngā Puhi

1966 -



Briar Grace-Smith was born in Whakatane, the daughter of Miriam and Alan Smith, and was educated at Pukerua Bay Primary School and Aotea College in Porirua. While at high school Briar participated in short journalism courses run by the Tu Tangata magazine. After she left school she worked for the Youth Focus on the Evening Post. In 1983 she became a founding member of Te Ohu Whakaari and worked as an actor/writer with this full time theatre company which toured nationally for 18 months. She worked as an actor and writer on the devised production Treat it Right which was performed at Maidment Theatre 1990. From 1989 to 1997 she worked as an actor and writer on devised productions for He Ara Hou Māori Theatre Company. She toured nationally with He Ara Hou which performed at the 1992 Adelaide Fringe Festival and at the Popular Peoples Theatre Exchange, Sydney, in 1993. He Ara Hou Productions included Whatungarongaro, Hine, Ko Miria Au.

She writes short stories and poetry about young people, teenagers and motherhood and has had short stories produced by Ears for National Radio. Briar has studied Māori language at Te Wananga o Raukawa. She is also a weaver and has tutored weaving in MACESS schemes at Maraeroa at Porirua and at Hongoeka Bay.

In 1994 she trained as a Script Adviser with Playmarket and from August to December 1997 worked as Staff Script Adviser with Playmarket. She has also had ongoing work as a Dramaturge and Script Assessor. In 1998 she was the facilitator of South of Nga Puhi New Playwrights Group. In 2001 she judged the Huia Publishers Short Film Competition and in 2000 was appointed as a Governor of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. She was a member of Te Ha – the Contemporary Māori Writers Committee of Toi Māori Aotearoa from 2002-2006. In 2007 she was appointed as a Theatre Committee member of the Emerging Artists Trust (EAT) Wellington.

She has received various awards for her work as a playwright. In 1995 she won the Bruce Mason Playwrights’ Award. Her play Ngā Pou Wāhine won the Peter Harcourt award for best short play during the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. Purapurawhetu won the Chapmann Tripp Theatre Award for Best New Zealand play in 1997. Briar was the 1998 Writer in Residence at Massey University. Also in 1998 she became South of Nga Puhi, New Māori Playwrights Group, Facilitator. She received a Kapiti Premiere Literature Award presented by members of the Kapiti Arts community for contribution to the arts. In 2000 she was awarded one of five Arts Foundation of New Zealand Inaugural Laureate Awards. In 2001 she was one of four nominated for the Glenn Schaeffer Writing Award. In 2003 she was Writer in Residence at Victoria University and in January 2006 her feature film ‘The Strength of Water’ was chosen for an intensive week-long laboratory at the Sundance Screenwriters Laboratory at Utah. She also attended the directors/writer laboratory in Utah in June 2006.

"Grace-Smith wrote the screenplay for feature film The Strength of Water, which showed at international film festivals across the world in 2009. It was workshopped with director Armagan Ballantyne at Sundance Directors’ and Screenwriters’ Labs in Utah in 2006. A review by Peter Calder in the NZ Herald said: 'Grace-Smith has created that wonderful thing: a story that is richly and intensely of this land but whose concerns are so universal that it could, with small adjustments, be set in Iceland or Japan. It is a remarkable achievement.'

Grace-Smith co-wrote the screenplay of the 2011 series Billy with Dave Armstrong. She also wrote her plays Purapurawhetu and When Sun and Moon Collide into screenplays for television adaptation.

Her screenplay for the 2012 movie Fresh Meat, starring Temuera Morrison, sees cannibalism collide with comedy to create a highly entertaining viewing experience.

Grace-Smith’s latest scriptwriting work was broadcast in the 2015 series When We Go To War, which commemorated and recounted the events surrounding the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign.

Briar Grace-Smith resides in Wellington’s Kapiti Coast."

Briar has provided some of the annotations below; these appear in quotation.



Biographical sources

  • Interview, phone conversation and correspondence with Briar Grace Smith, Aug. 1992, 3 and 9 Sept. 1998, and 22 Oct. 2008.
  • Huia Short Stories 1995. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1995. 136.
  • http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/profiles/grace-smith,%20briar 7 September 2016

    Fiction

  • "Puku Up, Puku Down." Huia Short Stories 1995. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1995. 45-50.
  • In this story the narrator meets an old kuia while working on a tukutuku panel and is enthralled with her storytelling. This story was a finalist in the Huia Publishers Māori Writers’ short story competitions of 1995.
  • "Rongomai Does Dallas." Penguin 25 New Fiction. Eds. Graham Beattie and Stephanie Johnson. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1998. 91-98. Rpt. in Where’s Waari? A History Of The Māori Through The Short Story. Ed. Witi Ihimaera. Auckland: Reed, 2000.
  • Grace-Smith writes that this is "a story about a love that never happens!" She has adapted the story for film.
  • "A Son for Memphis." Grace: New Zealand (Jan. 1999): 86-89.
  • "Charlie The Dreaded." Skins: Contemporary Indigenous Writing. Ed. Linda Burgess and Raewyn Bright. Auckland: Longman, 2000. Rpt. in Skins: Contemporary Indigenous Writing. Comp. Kateri Akiwenzie and Josie Douglas. Alice Springs, N.T.: Jukurrpa Books; Wiarton, Ont.: Kegedonce Press, 2000.
  • "The Good Luck Jacket." From The Big Chair: Stories To Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat. Auckland: Puffin, 2002.
  • "When Sun and Moon Collide." Turbine (Wellington, N.Z.) [internet resource] 18 Dec. 2003. V.3.
  • "Te Manawa." The Six Pack: Winning Writing From New Zealand Book Month. Auckland, N.Z.: New Zealand Book Month with Whitiereia Pub., 2006. No further details. Rpt. in Get On The Waka: Best Recent Māori Fiction. Ed. with and intro. By Witi Ihimaera. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed Book, 2007. 52-63.
  • "A rock in Bondi." Lost in translation : New Zealand stories. Sonzogni, Marco(ed.). Auckland, N.Z. : Vintage, 2010.
  • Films/Video

  • The Big Chair. Prod. Ranconteur Productions.
  • An after school television show featuring short stories by various New Zealand writers. Includes Grace-Smith’s "The Kumara Fairy". Nov. 1999. "The Good Luck Jacket." Prod. Nov. 2000. "A Gift From Waiora." Prod. Nov. 2001.
  • The Fishskin Suit. No further details.
  • He Taonga e Tawhiti. Trainee, television technical training course with Don Selwyn, 1988.
  • Queeni and Pete. By Briar Grace-Smith and David Geary. Prod. Zee Films. June 1998. Screened on TV1 Montana comedy playhouse.
  • Rongomai Does Dallas. No further details.
  • Briar Grace-Smith wrote this fifteen minute film script.
  • Plenty. No further details.
  • This five minute film script was written by Briar Grace-Smith and produced in 1998.
  • The Tribe. Script Editor for Series 3 of "The Tribe". Prod. Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Ltd. 2000.
  • A 52 part television series aimed at teenagers. May-Dec. 2000.
  • Jacksons’ Wharf. Prod. South Pacific Television for TV2, 2001.
  • Storyliner for this 28 part 1 hour action drama series from March – April 2000.
  • Being Eve.Prod. South Pacific Television for TV3, 2001.
  • Storyliner for this 13 part teenage drama series. Being Eve. Episode 2: Being Popular. Writer of this episode. Being Eve. Episode 8: Being Left Out. Writer.
  • Charlie the Dreaded. Prod. Aroha Productions, 2001.
  • 30 min. television drama. Premiered TV3 2001.
  • Fishskin Suit. Prod. Kahukura Productions. Dir. Peter Burger. 2001.
  • Premiered Jan. 10 2001. Winner Best Drama, New Zealand Television Awards 2002.
  • Shortland Street.
  • Dialogue writer on various episodes over 2002.
  • The Strength of Water. Prod. Filmwork Ltd. Dir. Armagan Ballantyne. Aug. 2007.
  • Feature film shot in the Hokianga, August 2007. Currently in post-production.
  • Waimarie.
  • Developed storylines and writer of one script for this long running soap opera with a view for production Māori television, 2008.
  • Lilly and Ra. Prod. Perceptual Engineering. Dir. Armagan Ballantyne. Oct. 2008.
  • A short film on human rights (Subject: domestic violence) for the United Nations.
  • Paradise Café.
  • A 13 part children’s television series. A co-production with Gibson Group and BBC. Writer of Episode 12.
  • Kaitangata Twitch. The Production Shed.
  • A writer and storyliner of this 13 part adaptation of the Margaret Mahy novel by the same name. Intended release date 2008. The Production Shed.
  • Billy. [New Zealand] : TVNZ : Distributed by Roadshow Entertainment, 2011.
  • Directed by Peter Burger, produced by Tony Holden and Judith Trye and written by Briar Grace Smith and Dave Armstrong.
  • Non-fiction

  • "Mum's the word." Briar. Metro (May 2014): 76-77.
  • Other

  • "From Purapurawhetu." JAAM: Just Another Art Movement 8 (1997): 42-45.
  • "How I Got My Name." Homeland. Ed. Frank Stewart. Feature Ed. Reina Whaitiri and Robert Sullivan. Manoa 9.1 Honolulu: U of Wawai’i P, 1997. 91.
  • The speaker recalls the origins of her name at childbirth.
  • "Telling Our Stories, Our Way." Mana: the Māori News Magazine For All New Zealanders 30 (1999): 60-63.
  • "Weaving Te Reo Without Losing The Thread." Booknotes 130 (2000): 9.
  • "Six Days And Nights In The Waitakere Ranges: Lab Rat." Write up (Aug. 2002): 22-25.
  • Newberry, Ann. "A Good Time To Be Brown." Herald on Sunday 26 Mar. 206: Sup.10.
  • "Hone-come-lately." Playmarket news (Spr 2008): 8-9.
  • "Keeping it real." Playmarket : annual, (Spr 2014): 4-5.
  • Papers/Presentations

  • "Native Earth Performing Arts." Toronto, Canada, June 1996.
  • "Māori Theatre." English Literature class. Victoria University, Wellington, N.Z. Sept. 1996.
  • Youth Employment Conference. Tapu Te Ranga Marae, Oct. 1996.
  • "Indigenous Women and Representation." Auckland University. Oct. 1996.
  • "Local Perceptions workshop" presented Nga Pou Wahine. 4th International Women Playwrights Conference. Galway, Ireland. July 1997.
  • "From Page to Stage" and "Talking Out Loud". Paperbark Literature Programme. Sydney, Austral. Sept. 1997.
  • "Native Tongues Read". N.S.W. Spring Writers Festival. Sydney, Austral. Sept. 1997.
  • "Writing for Social Change." Christchurch Arts Festival, Christchurch, 1997.
  • Listener Women’s Book Festival. Wellington, N.Z. 1997.
  • "Creative Writing." Whitireia Polytechnic. Sept. 1996, May 1997.
  • "Māori Women and Literature - readings." Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland, N.Z. June 1998.
  • Bridging Course. Whitireia, May 1998.
  • "Books and Beyond." Court Theatre, Christchurch, N.Z. May 1998.
  • Performing Arts

  • Whatungarongaro. 1990.
  • Edited, casted, and co-directed by Roma Potiki working with John Anderson. Principal writers Roma Potiki with Briar Grace-Smith, John Anderson, Wiremu Grace, Hemi Rurawe and cast.
  • Treat It Right 1990. Collective authorship.
  • Flat Out Brown. Produced and performed at Taki Rua Theatre, ‘Te Roopu Season’, July/August 1996.
  • "A story about a streetwise sister Niwa and her busking brother, Tawhiri. Separated as children they try and start again but things don’t work out. Connected and somehow drawn to Puna a tupuna wahine trapped in rock Niwa runs to Omanu Bay to release her spirit, and in doing so frees herself." This play has also been performed by school and other company productions.
  • Waitapu.
  • Briar Grace-Smith was writer of this play devised and performed by He Ara Hou. In May 1996 it was part of an exchange with Native Earth Performing Arts tour in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. In October 1996 Waitapu was also performed at Taki Rua Theatre at the Māori language season production.
  • Don’t Call me Bro. One act play.
  • This was produced by Bats Theatre for the "Young and Hungry" season in July 1996. There have also been various school productions.
  • Ngā Pou Wāhine. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia Publishers, 1997. Extracts rpt. in Going it Alone: Plays by Women for Solo Performers. Winnipeg, Canada: Nuage Editions, 1998.
  • The oriori (lullaby) was composed by Pita Mahaki and Te Taite Cooper composed Te ōhāki a Waiora. The play was written for one female actor. Four poupou are located on the stage and each poupou represents a character who has a story to tell. Te Atakura (Kura) is the central character and is a twenty-three year old Māori living with her aunt and uncle in the suburbs. The other characters are Kura’s friend Tia, Lizzie - Tia’s Māori aunt, Walter - Tia’s Pakeha uncle, and Miro is Kura’s deceased mother. The story opens in the distant past with Kura’s tupuna Waiora; Miro’s scenes are set in 1974 and the rest of the play is set in 1995. The play portrays the circumstances surrounding Kura’s birth and subsequent fostering by her aunt and uncle and search for her identity.
  • Purapurawhetu. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1999.
  • "While Tyler weaves the tukutuku panel Purapurawhetu in preparation for the new meeting house, its story unfolds before his eyes. A tale of love, jealousy and murder." This play was produced at Taki Rua, directed by Cathy Downes and performed at Downstage Theatre in 1997. It toured nationally to Gisborne, Whakatane and Auckland from February-March 1999. And toured Auckland, hastings, Christchurch, Dunedin, Canada and Greece from September to October 2000.
  • The Sojourns of Boy. Prod. Taki Rua and Bats. Performed at Bats Theatre, June 1999.
  • Co-written with Jo Randerson.
  • Fish Skin Suit. No further details.
  • Performance on TV3.
  • Haruru Mai. Dir. Colin McColl. Prod. March, 2000. Dir. Simon Prast. Prod. Auckland Theatre Company. Feb. – Mar. 2001.
  • A play commissioned by the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. Performance at Te Papa during Festival 2000.
  • Potiki’s Memory Of Stone. Prod. Court Theatre. July 2003.
  • A play comissioned by the Court Theatre, Christchurch. Premiered July 2003. Toured to Wellington (Downstage Theatre) and Auckland Arts Festival, October 2003.
  • 100 Cousins. No further details.
  • This full length play was written for Massive Theatre Company. Dir. Sam Scott. Premiered at The Herald, Aotea Centre, Auckland in Feb. 2006.
  • When Sun and Moon Collide. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 2007.
  • Dir. Roy Ward. Bats Theatre. 12-28 Oct. 2000.
  • Poetry

  • "Coming Right." Toi Wāhine: The Worlds of Māori Women. Illus. Robyn Kahukiwa. Ed. Kathie Irwin and Irihapeti Ramsden. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1995. 99.
  • As the speaker undergoes recovery the world around her begins to change.
  • "ō Tātou Roimata." Toi Wāhine: The Worlds of Māori Women. Illus. Robyn Kahukiwa. Ed. Kathie Irwin and Irihapeti Ramsden. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1995. 100.
  • A poem about the death of a loved one.
  • "Ka Kite." Toi Wāhine: The Worlds of Māori Women. Illus. Robyn Kahukiwa. Ed. Kathie Irwin and Irihapeti Ramsden. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1995.
  • A poem about an awkward interchange with Gwendoline who is learning te reo.
  • "They’ve Taken Away Our Hongi." Toi Wåhine: The Worlds of Māori Women. Illus. Robyn Kahukiwa. Ed. Kathie Irwin and Irihapeti Ramsden. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1995. 101.
  • The speaker asserts her intention to hongi despite the tendency by some to kiss women instead.
  • Puna wai kōrero : an anthology of Māori poetry in English. Ed. Robert Sullivan and Reina Whaitiri. Auckland, N.Z. : Auckland University Press, 2014.
  • Reviews

  • "Excerpts from a reading journal, 2008." Turbine (10 Dec 2008).
  • Sound recordings

  • Short stories produced by Radio New Zealand for children (EARS programme) and adults.
  • Bushy Eyebrows", "Nehana and the Alien", "The Magic Birdseed Biscuits", "The Witch Woman Who Lived by the Sea", and "Puku Up Puku Down.
  • Myth and Meaning: Witi Ihimaera and Briar Grace-Smith (N.Z.), John Marsden (Australia) and Fred D’Agular U.K./Guyana): chaired by Michael King. Recorded from a broadcast of National Radio’s N.Z. post Writers & Readers Week, 20 July 2000.
  • 1 sound cassette.
  • Charlie the Dreaded. Writer and reader for CBC Radio, Canada, 2002.
  • When Sun and Moon Collide. Adaptation of the stage play for Radio New Zealand. Broadcast Nov. 2005.
  • Potiki’s Memory of Stone. Adaptaion of stage play for Radio New Zealand. Broadcast Oct. 2007.

    Other

  • "Born To Tell Stories; Glittering Prize For Māori Writer?" Pu Kaea (Nov 2001): 8-9.
  • Chamberlain, Jenny and Natasha Brinsden. "Playing Up." North and South 168 (Mar. 2000): 58-69.
  • Christian, Dionne. "Real-Life Stories Foster An Extended Sense Of Family." New Zealand Herald 30 Mar. 2006: B5.
  • Dale, Judith. "On The Beach: Questions Of Identity In Recent Māori Drama." Illusions 26 (1997): 39-42.
  • Dale, Judith. "The State Of Play: ‘Outstanding Aotearoa’ At The New Zealand Festival 2000." Illusions 30 (2000): 36-43.
  • Duffield, Miria (and others). "Writing On Writers: Five Students Meet Four New Zealand Writers." English in Aotearoa 46 (2002): 67-74.
  • Evans, Sarah. "Stories Behind The Fridge Door." Evening Post 1 Jan. 2001: 15.
  • "Fairy Fishy Tale Magic." Pu Kaea (Feb 2001): 7.
  • Gardiner, Puti. "Briar Smith." Tu Tangata 31 (1986): 27.
  • A profile on Smith that looks at her involvement with Te Ohu Whakaari and outlines her visit to Jamaica.
  • Hainey, Felicity. "Briar Grace-Smith: Mana Wahine." Tama Toa (Nov/Dec 1995): 22.
  • "Haruru Mai – A Major Event In New Zealand Theatrical History." Kokiri Paetae (Feb 2001): 3115.
  • Herrick, Linda and Greg Dixon. "It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Challah; Greenstone Carver’s Fall From Grace." New Zealand Herald 30 Sep. 2003: B4.
  • Hopkins, Renata. "Interview with Briar Grace-Smith." Turbine (Wellington, N.Z.) [internet resource] 18 Dec. 2003. V3.
  • Houlahan, Mike. "Purupurawhetu – An Intricately Woven Tale." Evening Post 22 May 1997.
  • Houlahan, Mike. "An Extraordinary Celebration." Evening Post 6 Sep. 1997: 11.
  • Hunter, Sarah. "Spellbound." More 144 (1995): 18.
  • Johnston, Mel. "Dramatic License." Playmarket News 31 (2003): 8-9.
  • "Māori Playwright’s Work To Represent NZ." Kokiri Paetae 11 (1997): 22.
  • McLean, Robyn. "Playwright’s competing productions." Dominion Post 11 June 2004: B12.
  • "Morris, Paul. "From Page To Stage." Dominion 22 Sept. 2001: Sup.13.
  • "New plays." Playmarket News 37 (2006): 5.
  • "Nga Pou Wahine, Beautiful, Strong And Compassionate Play." Te Maori News: Maori Weekly Newspaper 2.19 (1997): 7.
  • O’Connor, Elizabeth. "Artist Talks." Te Karaka: the Ngai Tahu magazine 35 (2007): 53.
  • "On International Shortlist." Tu Mai: Offering An Indigenous New Zealand Perspective 27 (2001): 27.
  • "Purapurawhetu." Mana: The Māori News Magazine For All New Zealanders 34 (2000): 11.
  • Reed, Megan Nicol. "Native Voices." Sunday Star Times 17 Sep. 2006" Sup. 22-28.
  • Rivers, Jill. "A Solemn March To Sound Of Thunder." Sunday Star Times 5 Mar. 2000: F3.
  • Saville, Matthew. "Making A Boil Up." Playmarket News 38 (2006): 6-7.
  • "She Is Worldly-Wise With A Huge Wairua And A Wicked Sense Of Humour – All Great Ingredients For A Writer." Tu Mai: Offering An Indigenous New Zealand Perspective 19 (2000): 33.
  • Walker, Janie. "What You Know And What You Don’t." Playmarket News 31 (2003): 4-5.
  • Welch, Denis. "Claiming A Space." Listener 6 Mar. 1999: 36-37.
  • Wong, Gilbert. "Second Helpings." New Zealand Herald 12 Feb. 2001: B6.
  • Wong, Gilbert, and Heath Lees. "Top Artists Given A Sporting Chance At Big-Buck Awards; This Is A Foundation With Its Arts In Gear." New Zealand Herald 18 Sept. 2000: B4.
  • Reviews

    Flat Out Brown
  • "Only You Can Decide Your Destiny!!" Te Maori News: Māori Weekly Newspaper 1.3 (1996): 12.
  • Haruru Mai
  • Akuhata-Brown, Kathryn. "Review: Haruru Mai." Pu Kaea (Apr/May 2001): 4.
  • Billington, Michael. "History’s Cellar." Landfall 200 (2000): 181-184.
  • Cryer, Max. Sunday Star Times 18 Feb. 2001: F3.
  • Dale, Judith. Illusions 30 (2000): 36-43.
  • Hay, Natasha. Listener 3 Mar. 2001: 56.
  • Ngā Pou Wāhine.
  • Royal, Te Ahukaramu Charles. Rev. of Nga Pou Wāhine. Kia Hiwa Ra Nov. 1997: 583-4.
  • Royal reviews the performance of Ngā Pou Wāhine in Herald Theatre, Auckland, N.Z. from Oct. 22—17 Nov. 1997.
  • Purapurawhetu
  • Smith, Charmian. "Play Explores Exorcism Of Old Hurt." Otago Daily Times 27 July 2000: 21.
  • Welch, Denis. "A New Classic." Listener 14 June 1997: 42.
  • Review of performance of play at Downstage, Wellington.
  • Whatman, Jenny, and Sally Richards. English in Aotearoa 41 (2000): 81-82.
  • When Sun And Moon Collide
  • Beaumont, James. "Performance Reviews." Te Karaka: the Ngai Tahu Magazine 35 (2007): 52.