Penguin is standing by The Trowenna Sea
From Booksellers News
Notice to booksellers from Geoff Walker, Penguin Group NZ:
Penguin is standing by The Trowenna Sea, and its author. We have no plans to withdraw the book from sale.
Witi Ihimaera has apologised for using other authors’ material in The Trowenna Sea.
We have been dealing with any outstanding issues on a one to one basis with the authors and publishers concerned, and so far they have accepted Witi’s explanation.
We do note that the University of Auckland has stated: ‘The University of Auckland has investigated this matter and is satisfied there was no deliberate wrongdoing.’
4 comments:
The sheer blandness and lack of concern expressed in U of A's response to one of their doctoral candidates' unhappiness with the whole affair (see Paul Litterick's "The Fundy Post")bothers me.
And, Geoff Walker, while I have admiration and respect for your publishing skills-where the hell was Witi Ihimaera's editor during the publishing process? (I havent seen a copy of the book, so I dont know whether an editor is acknowledged.)
For the University of Auckland to say that they have "investigated this matter and is satisfied there was no deliberate wrongdoing.’ beggars belief.
How any eminent author of fiction could insert nearly two pages of work from other books in a novel and not do it deliberately is a fairy story.
Imagine the fuss there would be in NZ if Bryce Courtenay used nearly two pages from "The Matriarch" in one of his novels.
Not only would he be accused of plagiarism but also of cultural heresy.
This is a shameful business for both Penguin and Auckland. The plagiarism is substantial, involves multiple sources and does not seem likely to have been "accidental".
At the very least I am astonished that Auckland did not carefully investigate this before giving Ihimaera a pass. I have been involved with incidents of apparent academic dishonesty by students, and the subsequent investigation has always included a search for further breaches, beyond those that were initially detected.
In this case the list of borrowed material almost certainly goes beyond that initially discovered by Gracewood -- after all, what are the odds she would detect ever instance of copying in a 500 page book while writing a story on deadline -- and even then she would only find the material that was indexed by google. I am stunned that Auckland did not investigate this further.
They might have looked for further copied material themselves or (since Ihimaera was co-operating with this process, and appears to have initiated it, since he was exonerated before the story appeared in the Listener) examined the drafts and notes of the book.
Ihimaera looks bad enough after this, but a hasty "investigation" makes him look worse -- and Auckland will not look like the top-level research university it aspires to be if this story makes its way outside of New Zealand. (And it might -- check out gawker.com and ask yourself whether a story with the headline "Whale Rider Author Busted for Plagiarism" would look out of place there.)
For everyone digging in their spurs, pointing out facts or literary protocols, I challenge you to read the book and then comment. (...and please forgive me if you have and still feel you need to do so!)
However, I have never had the priviledge of finishing a book so soon after it was published. The ink is barely dry! Like the other Ihimaera books I've read (at least 3), it is wonderful, special, unique and powerful and I don't believe that someone with the creative integrity as Witi Ihimaera would have deliberately stolen text from other authors.
I was in NZ visiting my family when it was recommended by my F.A.B sister. I bought her a copy for Christmas and savored one for myself on the long journey back to where I live in Switzerland. I didn't start it until I was back in Switzerland and coping with missing my whanau, land and sea.
The story of Hohepa and his fellow chiefs who were transported to Tasmania (where my family has also lived for many years) provided me with great comfort as I adjusted to again being an expat in a foreign land and culture.
Witi Ihimaera apologised as soon as the plagiarism was pointed out and is even rebuying all the copies himself. The book is fantastic, absorbing, interesting, thoughtful, provocative, lively, funny and educational. Let it be reprinted. Let the current versions be composted if necessary but please do not stand in the way of it selling, prolifically and spreading New Zealands' terrific and unique history around our nation and around the world.
Thank you Witi Ihimaera for continuing to write such awesome books. How you manage to capture the sensibilities of every character whose eyes the stories are told through, I marvel at.
I look forward to re-reading the Matriach and Dream Swimmer at least and to picking up the others you've written too!
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