Graham Wiremu was born and educated in England and has Tai Tokerau links through his father Hemi Wiremu. He graduated from Queen’s College, Oxford University with an M.A. in Modern History and worked as a book publisher in London. In 1978 he came to New Zealand and edited books of Māori interest for the Wellington publisher A.H. & A.W. Reed. From 1979 to 1981 he was editor of Te Kaea which was published by the Department of Māori Affairs. In the early 1980s he attended various Māori Artists and Writers’ hui and wrote non-fiction articles, reviews, and a non-fiction children’s book. He wrote ten humourous stories under the pseudonym Professor Teka Titonui which were published in Tu Tangata between 1984-1986 [see bibliography entry to Teka Titonui]. Since 1984 he has worked as a creative director in advertising in Australia and Auckland.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Graham Wiremu on 27 Jan. 1998.
- Ewing, Barbara. "Graham Wiremu." Te Ao Hou 64 (1968): 39.
Non-fiction
- "...And From The Editor." Te Kaea: The Māori Magazine 1 (Dec. 1979): 2.
- In this first edition of Te Kaea, Wiremu states that the magazine is a ‘direct successor’ of Te Ao Hou and he hopes it will be a platform for Māori views to be discussed and debated, as well as providing a publishing venue for the work of Māori writers and poets.
- The Māoris of New Zealand. Hove, England: Wayland, 1984.
- This extensively illustrated slim publication provides an overview of Māori life in the past and present. The book is divided into five chapters describing the Māori migrations from Hawaiki and settlement in New Zealand, traditions and customs prior to European colonisation, the impact of European settlement, Māori in the twentieth century, and the renaissance of Māori language and culture. The book concludes with glossaries, reading list and index.
- Pronounce Māori With Confidence: An Easy Guide, With CD-ROM. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 2003.
- Written by Hoani Niwa. Co-edited by Graham Wiremu and Peter Dowing. Illus. by Muna Niwa.
Other
- Ewing, Barbara. "Graham Wiremu." Te Ao Hou 64 (1968): 39.
Reviews
Into the World of Light: An Anthology of Māori Writing,
- Rev. of Into the World of Light: An Anthology of Māori Writing, ed. by Witi Ihimaera and D. S. Long. NZ Listener 22 May 1982: 84. Rpt. as "Māoris Have More To Say Than Ends Up Printed On Tea-Towels." Tu Tangata 6 (June/July 1982): 24-25.
- A comprehensive review of Into the World of Light and a study of the history of Māori literature that examines definitions of Māori literature and the diversity of its scope, articulating the process whereby a rich ‘hidden’ literature is slowly emerging into the world of light.