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A Conversation With My Country

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About this listen

 A fresh, personal account of New Zealand, now, from one of our hardest-hitting writers. Following Once Were Warriors, Alan Duff wrote Maori: The Crisis and the Challenge. His controversial comments shook the country. A quarter of a century later, New Zealand and Maoridom are in a very different place. And so is Alan – he has published many more books, had two films made of his works, founded the Duffy Books in Homes literacy programme and endured ‘some less inspiring moments, including bankruptcy’. Returned from living in France, he views his country with fresh eyes, as it is now: homing in on the crises in parenting, our prisons, education and welfare systems and a growing culture of entitlement that entraps Pakeha and Maori alike. Never one to shy away from being a whetstone on which others can sharpen their own opinions, Alan tells it how he sees it.©2019 Alan Duff (P)2019 Bolinda Publishing Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers Politics & Government Social justice

Critic reviews

'Duff's examination of contemporary New Zealand is a personal one ... With statistical and anecdotal back-up, Duff makes his case, often a damning one, against the worst of Pakeha and Maori society ... there is no doubt that A Conversation continues a necessary dialogue.' (Sunday Star Times)
'... a characteristically thoughtful and constructive look at the pockets of pathological behaviours our welfare state has nurtured for decades.' (Dr Bryce Wilkinson, National Business Review)
'[A Conversation With My Country] is part memoir, part provocative debate, and part firmly stated advice on how the various peoples of NZ, whatever their origins, colour, race or background should behave ... As he always is, Duff is as honest about himself as he is about others.' (Graeme Barrow, Manawatu Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
Duff says it straight. Doesn't give a shit what people in their ivory towers think and in true NZ style has an honest no bull conversation - grass roots, where reality bites. He voices for the voiceless, those whom ivory towers cowardly whitewash. He knows them - he's been them. Their lost voices are worth more than ivory tower judgement. Thank you for speaking their story/your story, for caring enough to tell the truth, for solutions instead of empty virtue signalling so common place today.
Children before race, children before tribe, children before politics. Nothing else matters but the kid without a voice.

Walking the talk

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