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Distinguished international authors' treatment at AKL hits the news

Distinguished international authors' treatment at AKL hits the news

Old May 17, 2009, 4:21 pm
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Post Distinguished international authors' treatment at AKL hits the news

This was broadcast as part of the Sunday night news, after the writers' treatment at AKL last week and is publisshed in today's Sydney Morning Herald.

Visiting writers angry at detention by NZ authorities [SMH]
Two distinguished international authors, bound for the Sydney Writers' Festival, were detained by immigration authorities in New Zealand while officials conducted extensive security checks on their visas and immigration status.

Pakistan writer Mohammed Hanif and Nigerian writer Uwem Akpan were both held up at Auckland Airport last week.

Akpan was unable to get a visa to travel to Australia but Mr Hanif is still coming for the festival. Hanif was clearly angry at the heavy-handed treatment he received.

He referred to the incident during his acceptance speech for the secondary award of best new book at the Commonwealth Writers Prize ceremony in New Zealand on Saturday evening.
...Christos Tsiolkas, who won the main category in Commonwealth Writers Prize for his much-discussed novel The Slap, expressed his profound disappointment at the treatment of his two fellow writers.

They are "amazingly talented people and it is so disappointing to see these realities of fear, suspicion and prejudice come into play", Tsiolkas said.

Tsiolkas, who was "humbled and stoked" by the prize, told the Herald he was upset by the treatment of the two writers, whom he said had been singled out by authorities on the basis of their skin colour and names. He said R Akpan, was "a wonderful man who is a Jesuit priest and works in the slums of Lagos".
I just post this here as I imagine the story will continue a bit longer and it may be of interest to anyone from countries which NZ authorities prefer to give special attention.
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