Classical References in the Work of Witi Ihimaera: An Annotated Commentary

Abstract

In this article, I collate and annotate classical references from the published fiction of Witi Ihimaera. Throughout, I take it as axiomatic that classical references are especially meaningful in post/-colonial contexts, and that an investigation of such references in New Zealand literature is a pressing desideratum. All told, I demonstrate by example that classical references make a significant contribution to the warp and weft of Maori fiction.