Maraea Rihari

Ngā Puhi

1969 -

Maraea Rihari was born in Lower Hutt and was educated at Tairangi Intermediate, St Joseph’s, Waitengirua Intermediate and Turakina Māori Girls’ College. She has completed a Certificate in Secretarial Studies, Certificate in Media Studies and a Certificate in Creative Writing from Whitireia Polytechnic, along with papers towards a B.A. at Massey and Victoria Universities. Maraea has worked primarily in the hospitality industry. During the past six years, she has deejayed in clubs around Wellington and has promoted and organised live entertainment. She is currently general manager of a live entertainment venue. She began writing poetry and short stories when she was nine. She was was winner of the 1984 Ngarimu VC Essay competition.

Biographical sources

  • Correspondence from Maraea Rihari, 20 August 2004.
  • Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 5: Te Torino: The Spiral. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1996. 212.

    Children's literature

  • "The Lunch Thief." Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 238-242.
  • A story about Pani’s struggles at school after being wrongfully accused of stealing.
  • "Slobber." Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 261-266.
  • A story of bullying and Slobber’s rescue.

    • Fiction

  • "Payday for Taria." Huia Short Stories 1995. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1995. 99-109. Rpt. in New Zealand Writing: The NeXt Wave. Ed. Mark Pirie. Dunedin, N.Z.: Otago UP, 1998. 228-235.
  • A story about Taria’s bleak world trying to exist on the DPB and her escape into the world of drugs.
  • "Lunch at Zings." Huia Short Stories 3. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1999. 173-180.

  • Poetry

  • "AZT and Rob." Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 5: Te Torino: The Spiral. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1996. 212-213.
  • A poem about the impact of AIDS and the lies told to the dying.