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Heads Up:7:49AM Tuesday 16 March 2010
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David Cohen
Witi Ihimaera should ignore the editorial scolds
The recently named Arts Foundation laureate Witi Ihimaera has reportedly offered to buy the remaining stock of his latest novel, The Trowenna Sea, which has been at the centre of a plagiarism controversy. Local publisher Penguin Group also announced it is offering to take back stock from any bookseller who wishes to return the book.
But will this be enough to satisfy the New Zealand Herald?
Though ours is probably a minority opinion, we don’t think Ihimaera’s offence amounted to all that much, especially given that the microscopic amount of material he used appears to have been largely historical and therefore in the public domain and free to all. This degree of professional contrition seems unnecessary.
The country’s biggest daily newspaper has taken the rather different editorial position that Ihimaera not only deserves the greatest public castigation for his lapse, but perhaps should even return the $50,000 he received along with this week’s "laureate" award.
By the same token, one might have thought the Herald should also have insisted that its op-ed contributor Garth George forward a portion of his regular payment to Viv Forbes of Carbon Sense Coalition in Australia for having made extensive use of his material in a recent column.
The paper did nothing of the sort, of course, and even allowed George great editorial play on its front page almost immediately afterward to mount a silly campaign against local minister and co-religionist Brian Tamaki.
Pot. Kettle. Black. Witi Ihimaera should write a short story about it.
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Comments
Concur
Concur
The offence was at one level
The offence was at one level large given Ihimaera's academic standing and setting a standard for students. The University of Auckland chose to do nothing about that. That's about where the story ends in terms of publicly chastising him.
It doesn't deflect from his past success however and the receipt of this award as one of NZ's most popular authors.
That he used the $50k to buy up books just puts him now in the cunning and devious department. Wouldn't such sales rocket him up the Best Sellers list?
Tend to agree David
The (over)reaction is a storm in a teacup. It is common to see authors/columnists/bloggers/etc and academics in particular swap a few words around, and magically transform "plagiarism" into original work. Witi's mistake was failing to reach for the thesaurus.
award for plagarists
are we not concerned about a slippage in our moral standards?
cactus
Sorry kate but witi didn't use the 50g to buy his books back.Do your research before you start plaguing people.
Witi Ihimaera
It was interesting to hear Jolisa Gracewood on National Radio this morning. She said the 16 pieces of plagiarised work in Witi Ihimaera’s Trowenna Sea – which the author has been saying amount to only 0.4% of the work in an effort to dampen down the controversy – were only what she had identified when the issue of the Listener concerned went to press. She has subsequently found others, but didn’t say how many.
I will read this week’s issue of the Listener with great interest. And I await the University of Auckland’s backflip on its so-far inadequate sanctioning of Ihimaera’s actions.
Dear Witi is not doing his cause any good
because he is up to his old tricks according to one MPK Sorrenson of Parnell, Auckland. Please read the Listener's introductory letter in the Upfront section November 21-27 issue. Fairly damning stuff.
Contrast Auckland University's mild tut-tutting of Witi, with the virtiolic response to Political Studies lecturer Paul Buchanan, cast as the white, male American daring to demand academic standards of a female, Kuwaiti muslim - the media howled with indignation and the University had him fired pronto. Buchanan got screwed over for telling the truth, Witi cheats and collects $50,000.
Witi
I would have thought the herald would be a little more understanding given its columnist Noelle McCarthys admissions of plagiarism in the past
No excuse
It may of been acceptable if Witi was writing a research paper and had over looked a couple of references. However, this was a novel of (supposedly) original material, with 15 authors plagiarised. The only solution for Witi is to fully rewrite the book, and remove all plagiarised material.
How good is the book??
But is the new novel any good? Has Witi made this story work, misattributions and all??
Yawn
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/books/news/article.cfm?c_id=134&objectid=10610...
"Witi Ihimaera is to buy back all remaining stocks of his novel The Trowenna Sea after admitting plagiarism".
Are you claiming the Herald was wrong? Never.
His 'past success' also
His 'past success' also includes plagiarised material.
It seems he was always in the cunning and devious department.
Theft is theft is theft.
Given your last line
you could hardly think otherwise, David.
For QueenStFarmer
So you defend IP theft in this instance on the grounds that he was too lazy to reach for the Thesaurus and got caught out!
Cusacknyeti2@yahoo.com
Hi David, enjoy your columns alot. Just to let you know that we have had a repeat of the DOM/POST ignorning the bad reviews of the already sunk "Vintner's Luck," with Peter Jackson's seemingly very unlovely bones. The Film has been crucified by The Guardian, Times, Daily Mail, and more openly in The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.
Yet hardly a mention has been made of this in this morning's edition, rather ignoring the bad press but talking about the street closures for the Wellington premiere, and other drivel....time for another wack at the Southern media...cheers, Petr
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