Miriam Smith

She was born at Whakapara in the Bay of Islands and raised and educated at Otane, Hawkes Bay. She trained as a dental nurse in Wellington and worked in this profession for many years. She had five children and became very involved in play centres as a preschool adviser. She was a supervisor and director of training in the Bay of Plenty area and later worked as area officer for the Wellington Play Centre Association. She was responsible for six centres between Otaki and Paremata. Rosanne Robertson, who interviewed Smith, writes that Smith was a strong advocate of "the importance of fostering the Māori language at play centre and the involvement of both Māori and pakeha children in Māori arts such as weaving." She came into writing later in life and loved writing children’s stories. Her daughter Briar Smith states that she was always writing and wrote a lot of poetry and personal writings. "Miriam has long wanted to write a book about Māori values, including the importance of the relationship between the very young and the very old, and about Māori perceptions of life and time through nature". Smith states: "My books are children’s picture books, yet I hope that all who read them will each take something from them. They reflect the Māori values of caring for each other and for the land. They tell of relationships between the young and the very old and how we are all of the earth and the past, the present and the future."

Biographical sources

• Interview with Briar Smith August 1992.
• Robertson, Rosanne. "Play Centres ‘Ideal’ for Pre-School Children." Te Māori 5.6 (1973): 35.
• Smith, Miriam. Kimi and the Watermelon. Illus. David Armitage. Wellington, N.Z.: Brick Row
• Kidsarus 2, 1983.