Skip to product information
1 of 1

Sleeps Standing A Story of the Battle of Orakau by Witi Ihimaera with Hemi Kelly

Sleeps Standing A Story of the Battle of Orakau by Witi Ihimaera with Hemi Kelly

Regular price $30.00
Regular price Sale price $30.00
Sale Sold out
GST included. FREE delivery on all orders over $25.00 or else a tracked courier fee of $5.00 per order added at checkout.

Out of stock

All in stock items are sent via tracked courier the same day if ordered by 3 pm (excluding weekends/public holidays)

Sleeps Standing A Story of the Battle of Orakau by Witi Ihimaera with Hemi Kelly

A little book containing so much: a novella, history, eyewitness reports, Maori translation, verse and images.

Both fiction and fact, this fascinating book is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the Battle of Orakau.

During three days in 1864, 300 Maori men, women and children fought an Imperial army and captured the imagination of the world. The battle marked the end of the Land Wars in the Waikato and resulted in vast tracts of land being confiscated for European settlement. Instead of following the usual standpoint of the victors, this book takes a Maori perspective. It is centred around Witi Ihimaera’s moving novella, Sleeps Standing, which views the battle through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy named Moetu.

Alongside the novella are non-fiction narratives from Maori eyewitnesses, together with images and a Maori translation by Hemi Kelly, further giving voice to and illuminating the people who tried to protect their culture and land.

It is estimated that, at the height of the battle, 1700 immensely superior troops, well-armed and amply resourced, laid siege to the hastily constructed pa at Orakau. The defenders were heavily outnumbered with few supplies or weapons but, when told to submit, they replied:

‘E hoa, ka whawhai tonu matou, ake, ake, ake!’
‘Friend, I shall fight against you for ever, for ever!’

 

Product Details:
  • Published:          16 April 2019
  • ISBN:                  9780143773887
  • Imprint:              RHNZ Vintage
  • Format:              Paperback
  • Pages:                224
  • RRP:                   $30.00

 

View full details