Catton calls 'nonsensical'

Catton calls 'nonsensical'

Calls by the Taxpayers' Union for Booker Prize-winning author Eleanor Catton to pay back any funding she has received are completely nonsensical, according to New Zealand Society of Authors President, Kyle Mewburn.

"If ever there was a case for government funding to be considered a great success, surely this is it," said Mewburn. "The return on taxpayer investment in Ms Catton's career has been incalculable. Rather than begrudging such support, we should be celebrating it."

"It's also pretty apparent, given her phenomenal success, that Ms Catton will more than repay any support she has received by way of her tax returns," Mewburn added. "I'd have thought the Taxpayers' Union might have considered this in their calculations before offering such a mean-spirited and financially inaccurate assessment."

"Government funding of literature is by no means generous. Direct funding of writers last year, for example, was less than a million dollars. Given the literature sector contributes $382million to GDP and employs over 5000 people*, any reasonable analysis would conclude it is significantly under-funded."

"Rather than begrudging every cent invested in our writers, a strong case could be made for increased literature funding. In most sectors such international success would rightfully attract increased government funding to build on the momentum and maximise the economic rewards of being in the global spotlight. Our world class writers deserve both respect and equal treatment."

* According to a recent survey into the "Economic Contribution of the NZ Book Publishing Industry", commissioned from PWC by Copyright Licensing NZ and the Publishing Association of NZ. Literature survey

ENDS

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