Eleanor Catton Called a ‘Traitor and Ungrateful Hua’ By Sean Plunket, Gets Support From Fellow Man Booker Prize Winner Keri Hulme

Eleanor Catton is a traitor and an “ungrateful hua” for criticising New Zealand, according to RadioLive host Sean Plunket. The Man Booker Prize awardee complained about her country’s government and the people’s “tall poppy syndrome” while in India, and that got the radio host furious. She received support from fellow Kiwi awardee Keri Hulme, though.

In an interview at the Jaipur Literary Festival, and quoted by Live Mint, Catton expressed her disappointed with her home country for its lack of support for intellectuals. She said she was reluctant to be an ambassador for New Zealand when it “is not doing much as it could, especially for the intellectual world.”

“The Luminaries” author lamented that her book was not awarded the local New Zealand Book Award because it already won the Man Booker Prize, a situation she described as “tall poppy syndrome” in NZ. She saved her most scathing criticism for the government, though, calling the politicians “neo-liberal, profit-obsessed, very shallow, very money-hungry.”

Plunket was pissed with Catton for allegedly being a “traitor” in her country. He noted that the 29-year-old writer works in a government job that allows her to moonlight as a writer. She was also educated at a government-funded school, which means she had enjoyed what the government has done.

“She talked about tall poppy syndrome, if you stand out you will be cut down. Well, I’m only having a crack at you now because you’re being such an ungrateful hua,” Plunket said.

There were comments that blasted Plunket for calling Catton a whore, but MediaWorks spokeswoman Rachel Lorimer cleared that Plunket did not call her a whore, but a “hua,” which the rep described as “just a woman who annoys you.”

As Tom Roa of Waikato University’s Maori department explained to Stuff, “hua” is a shortened version of “upoko kohua,” which means “may your head be boiled and eaten.” Although it’s not a compliment by any means, the Maori insult has nothing to do with prostitution.

Catton, meanwhile, has received support from fellow Kiwi personalities, including Keri Hulme, the only other Kiwi author who won Man Booker Prize. Hulme took the honour in 1985 for her only novel “The Bone People.”

The 67-year-old writer dismissed Plunket’s criticism of Catton as “silly,” saying the younger novelist has a right to express her thoughts. “Quite seriously, aren’t writers allowed their opinions? Do we have to – whether we’ve been helped via literary prizes etcetera or government grants – always agree with what some of the policies are?” she said.

That said, Hulme doesn’t share Catton’s opinion. In fact, she hadn’t experienced the “tall poppy syndrome” Catton complained about.

“I’ve had an enormous amount of support over the years. Not least to when [‘The Bone People’] was declared the first classic New Zealand novel, which still makes me laugh,” Hulme recalled.

She also suspected that whatever country a writer is from, they would still be disillusioned with their government’s support of the arts. And as for being an ambassador for New Zealand back then, she was “very comfortable” with her role.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key previously said he was disappointed with Catton’s remarks about his administration. “I’m disappointed because she doesn’t have respect for what we do because I have tremendous respect for her as a writer,” Mr Key said.