The gay Maori who wrote The Whale Rider

So you think you've got problems getting published? How about being the guy who wrote The Whale Rider, later made into an amazing movie. “It was an incredible dilemma,” says Ihimaera, “because Maori believe that English is not a sacred language and to try to translate Maori thoughts and Maori values into English is very difficult. Some of my more politically minded friends felt we should maintain the Maori story within the Maori language. But foolishly, or arrogantly, or otherwise, I chose to recognise that if we kept on doing it that way we would end up in a cul de sac. The only way to gain political and cultural and economic power is to work oneself into those power frameworks. For me, that meant writing myself into the frame. The book was rejected by three publishers before it was accepted by the fourth. The third publisher was very interesting. He said: 'Well, Witi, who would read your books?' I said: 'Maori would.' And he said: 'But Maori don’t read books.' Read more here, especially about him being gay among 'the most homophobic people in the world.'