Author Alan Duff has opened up about his tough upbringing, what he told his wife when he finished Once Were Warriors and about the recent incident with a cameraman.
In June, Mr Duff was approached by a freelance Spinoff cameraman who asked the author a question about how some people are not happy with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's pregnancy. He took exception to the question , becoming visibly upset and threatened the cameraman.
In an interview with TVNZ1's Marae, Mr Duff said he was disappointed in himself for the interview and told his wife after he thought he had a "personality defect".
"My wife said, 'hello, what's new?'"
In Marae's story, footage is shown of Mr Duff talking to children and telling them he spent his first night in police cells at age 12 after running away from home.
"Why? Because my home was full of violence."
When asked if he had a tough upbringing, Mr Duff said he "saw things, various things that no child should".
"I don't want any kid to go through what I went through."
Mr Duff said he was in a boys’ home at 13, and said he went to jail in Britain in his late 20s.
"It shaped my opinion on me really. I had really, really low self esteem."
"I think it broke most of my siblings, maybe it killed one of them. I think anyone who knows me, they knew what was going on in our house. Others will say, that was the making of you. And it was."
After writing Once Were Warriors, Mr Duff woke his wife up and said, "I think I've made history".
"I just knew I'd pulled something off."
Mr Duff's award-winning book was published in 1990, and was later made into a movie.
When asked about critics who said Once Were Warriors reinforced negative stereotypes about Māori, Mr Duff said he was "not a fan of the Māori academics".
He said he was hugely proud to be Māori, but he did not "have to buy this version shoved on me".
"What do I say to my critics? Nothing. I got nothing to say to you."
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