--- a/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp	2017-10-31 17:45:30.737250086 +0100
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp	2017-10-31 17:46:56.002247847 +0100
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@
 // harfbuzz
 #include <harfbuzz/hb.h>
 #include <harfbuzz/hb-ft.h>
-
+#include <unicode/uvernum.h>
 // icu
 #include <unicode/uscript.h>
 
+
 namespace mapnik
 {
 
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@
 static inline const uint16_t * uchar_to_utf16(const UChar* src)
 {
    static_assert(sizeof(UChar) == sizeof(uint16_t),"UChar is eq size to uint16_t");
-#if defined(_MSC_VER)
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) || (U_ICU_VERSION_MAJOR_NUM >= 59)
+   // ^^ http://site.icu-project.org/download/59#TOC-ICU4C-char16_t1
    return reinterpret_cast<const uint16_t *>(src);
 #else
    return src;