Miriam Smith

Miriam Smith 1926-1987 (Ngāti Hau, Ngāpuhi) was a writer and preschool adviser who was born in Whakapara, Bay of Islands, and raised and educated in Otane, Hawke's Bay. She wrote several children’s books including Kimi and the Watermelon, Annie and Moon, and Rehutai and Tangitangi. She was an advocate for teaching te reo Māori to all children, and her books reflect Māori values of caring for each other and the land. Described by her daughter Briar Grace Smith as having a “big heart”, Miriam’s manaaki and love for storytelling lives on in the pages of her books.