When I was growing up, New Zealand's contribution to world culture was basically Crowded House and Shortland Street singers – middle-of-the-road music for the daytime audience. I guess I noticed that because my dad was from New Zealand. He still uses Edmonds cookbooks, and impressively described his son's birth as “incredible.” I've also had a New Zealand passport since I was about nine years old.
So looking at the performer list for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, I was particularly excited to see a plethora of young, exciting New Zealand talent that can truly rival any performer in Europe or America: there's Rose Matafeo, of course, star and co-writer of Starstruck, contestant on Taskmaster and voice actor in the upcoming Moana 2; Guy Montgomery, presenter of Guy Mont Spelling Bee, which is keen to secure UK TV rights; stand-up comedians Alice Snedden, Paul Williams, James Roque and Guy Williams, and clown Trygve Wakenshaw.
In the world of film, we have Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Jane Campion, not to mention mammoths like Peter Jackson, and in the world of books, we have Meg Mason (she lives in Australia, but we can claim her) and Eleanor Catton.
Musically, besides the all-conquering Lorde, there's also an intriguing line-up of solo artists like Aldous Harding, Princess Chelsea, Jonathan Bree and Marlon Williams, the singer-songwriter and star of Netflix's Sweet Tooth – not bad for a country of just over five million people.
When I decided to make one of the protagonists in my new novel a New Zealand stand-up comedian who comes to Britain after being shocked by the results of a DNA test, the issue wasn't novelty, it was verisimilitude. There are lots of New Zealand creatives in London, so their nationality would be plausible and would serve a dramatic purpose.
It's hard to know why New Zealand culture is booming so much. Is it a side benefit of Jacinda Ardern's tenure as prime minister? The global influence of social media? Or is it the return of former prime minister Helen Clark's kids? Who knows. I'm just glad we're not talking about Split Enz anymore.
Nell Frizzell is author of Holding the Baby: Milk, Sweat and Tears from the Frontline of Motherhood.
