COMP CLOSED | Book Giveaway | Who Disturbs the Kūkupa?

Heroes of the Māori Battalion are reimagined in a new NZ historical novel.

Kayleen Hazlehurst brings to us a powerful new wartime novel set in Aotearoa/ New Zealand during World War II. Who Disturbs the Kūkupa? is a sweeping tale of courage, love and awakening during one of the world’s darkest moments in history.

Caught behind enemy lines after the Battle of Mount Olympus, Sonny Wirima must journey through mainland Greece and the Aegean Islands to find his lost Māori Battalion with only his survival skills and his ancestors to guide him. Back at home, his family and fiancée await his return and the novel unfolds in two poignant parallel stories.

With the help of kindly Greeks, Sonny reaches Crete by sailing boat. Here, he joins a band of rebels in the White Mountains and fights with the Resistance against the occupying enemy. He escapes to Egypt and returns home to devastating news.

This is Hazlehurst’s second wartime saga. Her debut novel, A Caramel Sky, ‘had me lock, stock and barrel’, said Terry Toner (Book Show, Radio Southland). For Maggie Trapp of Kete Books, it was ‘a love story to this beautiful country.’

Hazlehurst conducted exhaustive international research for Who Disturbs the Kūkupa? and says she is indebted to the members of the 28th Māori Battalion who left their letters and diaries to the nation. She acknowledges the generous guidance she received from Māori leaders during her 1980s fieldwork, especially Sir Hēnare Kōhere Ngata who encouraged her to write about the Māori Battalion.

Hazlehurst’s special thanks are offered to Iraihi Kataraina Sullivan, Aunty Girlie, ‘who nurtured me like a second mother during my childhood and left a lasting impression on my heart.’ An anthropologist by training, Hazlehurst’s long career has been devoted to championing the rights of First Nations People. Her extended family has Ngā Puhi associations.

Praise:

Peter Ewer, author of Forgotten Anzacs, said ‘Kayleen Hazlehurst has produced a haunting tale of love and loss in wartime, made all the more memorable for its cultural inclusion and sensitivity. The adventures of Sonny Wirima, a Māori soldier on the run in German-occupied Greece, longing to be reunited with his great love, Atarangi Tahiri, are evocatively rendered without ever descending into cloying sentimentality. A great read.’

‘This is an inspired taonga by a gifted writer,’ wrote Rangi Hapi, Wellington author and poet, ‘whose story joins the old world and the new during a time of turbulent change. A must- read for those who ever wanted to know more about those brave soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion, like my grandmother’s brother (Lt Hone Te Kauru Green, C Company, killed in action, 1941). Hidden gems of poetry give the book a spiritual identity you won’t find in books on this era. Inspirational and emotionally gripping.’

John Carr, author of The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-41 wrote: ‘A truly heart-warming and pleasurable read that leaves persistent psychic vibes long after the last page has been turned. Māori practices and beliefs are knitted seamlessly into military events thousands of miles from home. Tender and descriptive though Hazlehurst’s characterizations are, she does not shrink from stark wartime realism where necessary. It is a most impressive work.’

Matthew Mullany, historian and public servant of Ngāti Pārau descent, also gave his support with the words: ‘A unique and extremely precious contribution to our understanding of what happened during those events. The book informs future generations of the sacrifices that their tīpuna made.’

About the author:

Kayleen Hazlehurst’s poetry and imaginative prose are woven from the threads of family life in New Zealand and her own international travel. She loves to create vivid characters and stories of courage and adventure, and to draw on the talent of local artists for her covers.

Born and raised in New Zealand, the author moved to Canada in her twenties, where she was trained in film- making and anthropology and was later employed as an indigenous justice and policy adviser for fifteen years in Australia. After moving back to New Zealand, she completed a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and returned to her earlier love of writing poetry and prose. She is the author of A Caramel Sky, The Antique Chef and Who Disturbs the Kūkupa? She now writes full-time and travels between her homes in New Zealand and Australia.

Terms and conditions

1. 1. You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
   2. Competition closes on the 13th June 2023, winners will be notified via email by 15th June 2023.
   3. It is your responsibility to ensure you correctly enter a New Zealand postal address where the prize can be couriered. GrownUps will not take responsibility for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
   4. Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
   5. GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
   6. By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
   7. One entry per household.
   8. Prize is non transferrable.
   9. You must reside in New Zealand – the prize will only be posted within New Zealand.
   10. You must be over 50 years of age to enter, check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.