We are asking quick questions of writers and thinkers coming to the WORD Christchurch Festival 2025 (Wednesday 27 August to Sunday 31 August).
Here are some quick answers from Roimata Smail, author of Understanding Te Tiriti.
What are you looking forward to doing in Ōtautahi Christchurch?
Meeting Nigel and Yuriko from LTL Logistics. They keep the copies of my book in their Rangiora warehouse and send out all our orders to bookshops, libraries and online customers. We wouldn't be able to do it without them, but we haven't met in person yet.
What do you think about libraries?
They are lovely peaceful places and libraries have been big supporters of my book
What would be your "desert island book"?
Maddaddam Omnibus please.
Share a surprising fact about yourself
My Mum Jeanette processes all our orders from bookshops.
What makes you JOYOUS?
Karaoke.
Roimata at WORD Christchurch
You can hear Roimata at the following session:
Te Tiriti for beginners. Sunday 31 August 10am to 11am at The Piano.
More about Roimata
Roimata Smail (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, England, Scotland, Ireland) is a lawyer specialising for two decades in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.She has built a legal practice around the pursuit of equity for Māori with an approach that is forward looking, positive and pragmatic.
She represented lead claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal inquiry that led to the watershed Hauora Report and the establishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority.
Other work includes acting on claims about Māori in prison, pēpi and children removed by Oranga Tamariki and the Crown response to Covid-19 as well as representing the first iwi to receive an offer of Customary Marine Title from the Crown.
From a family of teachers, Roimata has a passion for education, running workshops on Te Tiriti (treatytraining.com) and creating an online resource for schools on Te Tiriti, New Zealand History, te Reo Māori and financial literacy (waiako.com).
More Quick questions with WORD Christchurch guests
More WORD
Check the programme online or pick up a printed copy from your library.
- WORD Christchurch website
- Follow WORD Christchurch on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok
- Our WORD Christchurch 2025 page - Find books by writers coming to this year's festival
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