Shock among New Zealand's literary community over a $500,000 grant to a website.

Narrative Muse has been given the cash from the $374 million Cultural Sector Innovation Fund.

The site promises to match people's personalities with stories in book, TV and movie form.

When a customer buys through links on the site, it may earn an affiliate commission.

Author Paula Morris told Andrew Dickens everyone's shocked.

“Why isn’t Creative New Zealand involved in this process? Why is it people at the Ministry who are doing directly?”

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