Witi Ihimaera's publisher is offering to buy back copies of the writer's latest novel, which has been the subject of a plagiarism controversy.
Mr Ihimaera, who was named an Arts Foundation laureate on Tuesday, has apologised for not crediting the original sources of some passages in The Trowenna Sea, which follows the story of five Maori imprisoned in Tasmania in the 1840s.
Penguin publishing director Geoff Walker told Waatea News that Penguin Books New Zealand will take back stock from any bookseller who wishes to return the book.
He says Mr Ihimaera is at the forefront of New Zealand fiction writing, and Penguin is standing beside him.
"Some of his novels, such as The Matriarch, The Uncle's Story and Bulibasha, have been some of the best novels written in English," Mr Walker says, "and have brought, I think, te ao Maori to a Pakeha readership to a considerable degree.
"That's one of the key features of his novels, and The Trowenna Sea contains the same features."
Mr Walker told Morning Report the decision to buy back copies of the book was Mr Ihimaera's and was not a suggestion the publishing company had put to him.
He says a revised edition of the book will be published next year with a new section explaining the background and making full acknowledgment to writers whose work is drawn on.
'Reputation damaged'
Author CK Stead says the situation is a very untidy one and has damaged Witi Ihimaera's reputation, even though he has apologised.
He says it would have been better to let the book stand and send out a flyer, or booklet, with acknowledgements.
Like Witi Ihimaera, CK Stead is also a professor at the University of Auckland.
