Tim Tipene

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tipene, Tim (1972- ), Ngāpuhi, is based in West Auckland. He is an award winning children’s writer and founder of Warrior Kids, a self-mastery and conflict resolution programme for children. Tim has provided Warrior Kids to communities and schools for 20 years, changing the lives of thousands of children and their families.

A trained counsellor with a graduate certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Tim is also a martial arts instructor who has accumulated a total of 12 Dan Black Belt ranks. In 2013 Tim was inducted into the New Zealand Martial Arts Hall of Fame for Warrior Kids.

Tim was the victim of violence in his own childhood. 'Sometimes I'd just get walloped out of the blue for nothing at all. That's how we lived. That's how I thought everybody lived.' His work in the community has turned his own tough life experiences into a positive force for change.

After teaching self-defence for women and facilitating anger management and Living without Violence programmes for men, Tipene turned his attention to helping children.

Tipene's first book for children is The Wooden Fish (1999). 'Themes of conservation and family love are bound together with a deft touch of magic,' writes Dylan Owen in The Dominion. The Wooden Fish made the 2000 Storylines Notable Books list.

Taming the Taniwha (2001), illustrated by Henry Campbell, tells the story of Tama and how he tames his first schoolyard Taniwha. Taming the Taniwha made the international White Ravens List for 2002.

Haere - Farewell Jack, Farewell (2005), illustrated by Huhana Smith, won the Honour Award in the Picture Book category of the 2006 New Zealand Post Book Awards. The work also made the 2006 Storylines Notable Picture Book list.

Hinemoa te Toa (Scholastic, 2008) tells the story of a young girl who conquers her fears and won the LIANZA Te Kura Pounamu Award for 2009.

Tim Tipene’s other titles include Kura Toa: Warrior School (Reed Publishing Ltd, 2006), Bullies and Warriors, Rewa finds his Wings, Warrior Kids, Warrior Training for Children, and Patu.

Mrs Battleship (OneTree House)is a collection of 14 true childhood stories for young readers, published in 2020.