Jacinda Ardern has distanced herself from a recently released biography documenting her leadership style, less than a week after joining widespread criticism of a film that focuses on her role leading New Zealand during the Christchurch terror attacks.<\/p>\n
The new book \u2013 Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy \u2013 was written by activist and journalist Supriya Vani, and writer Carl A. Harte, based on \u201cVani\u2019s exclusive interviews with Ardern\u201d, according to its seller, Simon & Schuster.<\/p>\n
But at a press conference on Monday, the prime minister said that she was \u201cclearly\u201d misled by Vani about the intent of the interview and premise of the book. Ardern said she was approached in 2019 and \u201ctold the author was writing a book on women and political leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told there were roughly 10 other female political leaders involved,\u201d she said. Ardern said she agreed to the interview only \u201con that basis, given it was not specific to me\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said that \u201cthe claim that it was an exclusive interview for the purpose of writing a book of that nature [a biography] is not true\u201d, and said she would ask that the claim be clarified.<\/p>\n
Harte denied the claim she was misled, saying Ardern\u2019s office was later made aware the book\u2019s framing had changed to become a biography.<\/p>\n
The spat comes at a moment when presentations of Ardern in international media \u2013 often glowing – are under particular scrutiny in New Zealand. A proposed film about the Christchurch mosque attacks, called They Are Us and starring Rose Byrne as Ardern, has been fiercely criticised over accusations that Muslim victims have been sidelined in favour of a focus on Ardern.<\/p>\n
Ardern said on Sunday she was not an appropriate focus for a film about the 2019 mosque attacks. \u201cThere are plenty of stories from March 15 that could be told, but I don\u2019t consider mine to be one of them,\u201d she said. Ardern reiterated that she has no involvement with the film.<\/p>\n
In a statement to the Guardian, Harte confirmed the original interview was for a book profiling a number of female leaders. \u201cPrime Minister Ardern was, however, not misled, because at the time of the interview, we had no intention of writing a biography on her alone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Harte said they shifted tack to a biography of Ardern after Covid-19 precluded plans for interviews with other world leaders, and because \u201cher story deserved a book in itself, for her model leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur decision to change direction \u2013 something that, I must say, is the hallmark of many creative endeavours \u2013 was made in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Ardern\u2019s office was aware the book\u2019s framing had changed to biography, saying that in January, Vani had \u201cinformed the prime minister\u2019s office of our intention to publish our biography of Jacinda Ardern, and shared the cover\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe regret the misunderstanding,\u201d Harte added. \u201cWe stand by our book\u201d.<\/p>\n
Vani did not provide independent comment, but said she would refer the request to her co-author.<\/p>\n
The book\u2019s claims of exclusive interviews with the prime minister raised some eyebrows in New Zealand, because Ardern does not typically grant interviews to biographers. Two senior New Zealand journalists, Madeleine Chapman and Michelle Duff, have written biographies of Ardern. Neither were able to secure an interview.<\/p>\n
A brief excerpt from Vani\u2019s interview was published by Vani in a Writers Digest article about how to write and research a biography. Vani asks: \u201cI feel that you laid the foundation of your personality when you instantly empathised in your own childhood with the children on the streets of New Zealand without shoes on their feet or anything to eat. Would you agree with me that you could observe all these things because you were born an empathetic person\u201d? Ardern responds, \u201cI would like to believe that it is something that is an inherent trait for all of us. It\u2019s about having the space to be empathetic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon & Schuster quote Booklist as having called the book a \u201creadable, admiring biography\u201d. In a review for the Spinoff, Toby Manhire calls it \u201cutterly uncritical, fawning, cloying\u201d.<\/p>\n
A passage describing Ardern\u2019s outfits on her visit to Europe reads: \u201cIn London, she upped the ante, featuring perhaps the most graceful, regal attire ever worn by a New Zealand prime minister at an international event.\u201d<\/p>\n
It goes on: \u201cThe effect was breathtaking \u2026 Even the Queen looked impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another compares her favourably to the great British wartime leader Winston Churchill because of her response to the pandemic. \u201cIf there is a Winston Churchill of the war against Covid-19, for her success in rallying her country to fight the virus, there\u2019s a good argument to say it\u2019s Jacinda Ardern.\u201d<\/p>\n
The book is sold by Simon & Schuster and appears to have multiple publishers across different jurisdictions, including Harper Collins India, Hardie Grant in Australia and New Zealand, and Oneworld Publications. The Guardian has approached Simon & Schuster, Oneworld Publications, Hardie Grant and Harper Collins India for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jacinda Ardern has distanced herself from a recently released biography documenting her leadership style, less than a week after joining widespread criticism of a film that focuses on her role leading New Zealand during the Christchurch terror attacks. The new book \u2013 Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy \u2013 was written by activist and journalist Supriya […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n