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Briar Grace-Smith
Iwi
Ngapuhi, Ngāti Wai.
Whānau
Ngāti Hau.
Education
Pukerua Bay Primary School, Aotea College - Porirua.
Occupation
Writer
What did you want to be when you were young?
I knew I wanted to
write from a young age. When I was
a child I was shy. One way of stepping
out of myself and become someone else
was to tell big stories to my mates.
Then I began writing the stories down.
Some kids called me Briar the Liar,
but I know now it was the beginning
of a career as a writer...
Who are your inspirational role models?
As far as writing
goes my books of Moteatea (edited
by Apirana Ngata) are always open.
Amongst others I'm inspired by the
writing of Patricia Grace, Toni Morrisson
and Sherman Alexie.
What is your favourite...
· food?
Rock oysters from
Whangaruru.
· music?
I like lots of styles
(except I can't handle heavy metal).
I like funk, soul, reggae, jazz, hip
hop, latino... I listen to a lot of
NZ, Māori and Pacific Island
artists including Che Fu, Anika Moa,
Hinewehi and Dallas Tamaira. Right
now I'm listening to Waiata of Bob
Marley by Ruia and Ranea. I also enjoy
the Blues divas like Nina Simone and
Billy Holiday. Classical is good to
listen to especially when you're stressed
out or in a traffic jam.
· person/people?
My kids, Miriama,
Waipuna and Himiona (junior) and my
partner Himiona. We have lots of laughs
together.
· movie?
This changes. Right
now I'm a Lord of the Rings fan. Some
stand outs are 'Smoke Signals' (Native
Canadian), 'Three Seasons' (Vietnamese)
and 'Fargo'. I loved the Inuit movie
Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner. I also
enjoy scary movies of the supernatural
kind.
· TV programme?
The Sopranos.
· pastime?
Reading, weaving harakeke,
twilight netball.
What would be your ideal day?
Let me see...The tropical
sun is beating down, I am reclined
by a swimming pool being waited on
by...nah that's a fantasy. My ideal
day is one where I finish all the
work I have to get through, have time
for recreation and of course for whanau.
It hardly ever happens like that but
when it does, I feel on top of things.
What is the grossest thing in your fridge?
Nothing. I have just
cleaned it. Actually I'm lying. My
friend who was house-minding while
we were away cleaned it. But before
she cleaned it there was this plate
of baked beans with furry green mould
on the top.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
The moment I'm going
to tell you about isn't so much embarrassing
as horrific. One time I was acting
in a play, I had to walk out onto
stage (it was pitch black!) behind
another actor carrying a candle in
one hand and a bunch of leaves in
the other. I tripped over a prop and
fell onto the other actor. The candle
I was carrying set her hair alight.
I had to beat out the fire with the
leaves (I knew those leaves were for
something...). All this happened in
front of the audience who despite
the smell of burning hair, thought
it was part of the act.
What are your ambitions for the future?
One day I'd like to
take the time out from writing for
theatre and film and pen a novel.
That'd be a great challenge.
What sparked your interest in following your particular career path?
My Mum took me to
a play when I was seven. It was an
adult's play so a lot of it went above
my head, but it had an impact on me.
I liked the way the story was told
using drama. From then on I had an
interest in theatre. During my last
year at college I did work experience
at the 'Evening Post'. I was training
to become a journalist. One day my
boss asked me to interview a new Māori
theatre company called Te Ohu Whakaari.
It just so happened that on that very
day the company were auditioning for
actors. They needed one more woman.
When I turned up they thought I was
there to try out. Instead of putting
them straight I threw down my notebook
and auditioned. I spent the next eighteen
months touring plays around the country.
It was a turning point in my life.
December, 2003 |
