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The notion of New Zealanders expressing themselves through words and stories has existed for as long as New Zealand has been inhabited. When thinking about how literature has developed, we have to begin with the first settling of New Zealand by the Māori from roughly 1320 to 1350. The Māori would not have a written language until European settlers began to arrive centuries later, but they had an oral artistic tradition that involved reciting myths, poems, prayers and songs (waiata) out loud.
It was common for performances to occur on the marae, which is the term for a communal gathering place in Māori culture. As well as being used to educate, entertain, and express the feelings and hopes of the iwi (tribe), performance played a key role in public life. Traditions such as the pōwhiri (a type of welcome ceremony) involved elements of performance such asMāori women performing a karanga (ceremonial call).
The arrival of European settlers would transform the artistry of New Zealand. For the first time, oral Māori folk tales and poems were collected, transcribed and published. These stories be widely read by white non-Māori settlers (pākehā), and would mix with the European folk tales that settlers brought with them, forming the beginnings of a new and distinctive culture.
However, the culture of New Zealand didn't emerge overnight. In the 19th century, New Zealand was still a British colony and mostpākehā considered themselves British. Yet as New Zealand gradually grew to be politically distinct from Britain, it also gradually developed its own unique culture. This process was accelerated by the introduction of the printing press to New Zealand in 1834, which allowed New Zealanders to begin printing their own books and pamphlets. Initial published literature in New Zealand was often centred around travel narratives that focused on exploring the islands, reflecting the fact that many pākehā considered New Zealand to be a foreign country that they were settling in, rather than their natural home.
As the 19th century was drawing to a close, New Zealand was beginning to evolve from being a British colony that shared the culture of the UK to an independent nation with its own culture and identity. This was reflected in literature, with the Māoriland movement helping to establish a distinct identity for New Zealand. This movement was centred around Māori culture and traditions, with pākehā writers mixing them with European literary styles.
The Māoriland movement would prove to be influential in various ways. It produced some pieces of literature that are today well-known in New Zealand—New Zealand's national anthem 'God Defend New Zealand' even evolved from a poem entitled 'New Zealand Hymn' in Thomas Bracken's book Musings in Maoriland. However, it was also built around an exaggerated and unrealistic understanding of Māori culture, with pākehā arguably exploiting Māori customs for dramatic effect in many Māoriland texts. Today the term 'Māoriland' is associated with colonialism, but the Māoriland movement nonetheless played a part in developing a distinct cultural identity for New Zealand.
The 20th century would be hugely important for New Zealand generally, with the nation slowly establishing a distinct cultural and political identity. This was often reflected in literature. Throughout the early 20th century, becoming an author was still largely reserved for pākehā as manyMāori citizens were living in rural areas away from publishing companies, and struggling with poverty, the loss of land, and a lack of education. However, there were some notable Māori writers in this period. Te Rangi Hīroa and Āpirana Ngata (who was also a key figure in NZ politics) would both write non-fiction and collect Māori songs and chants into published books, but there are few examples of Māori producing published fiction in this period.
World World 2 would prove to be crucial for the development of New Zealand's literary scene. In 1945, an anthology of short stories by writers from New Zealand named Speaking for Ourselves was published, which would prove influential in shaping the culture and style of post-war NZ literature. As the 1950s were arriving, a well-developed publishing industry had emerged in New Zealand, with outlets for Kiwi literature such as the journals Landfall and Te Ao Hou/The New World.
The latter journal was focused on giving a platform to Māori talent and, as large numbers of Māori began to migrate to urban centres following the war, new Māori writers began to emerge alongside the pākehā. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Wellington Group of authors even argued that the writers of New Zealand should be exploring broader themes rather than focusing on the identity of New Zealand, arguably reflecting that a distinct culture had emerged by now. So, who were some of these talented New Zealand Authors, and how have they been significant?
Margaret Mahy was born in 1936 in Whakatane, on the north coast of New Zealand's North Island. When she was growing up, her father would often tell her adventure stories and these experiences would influence her as a writer later in life. She published her first story, named 'Harry is Bad', when she was only seven.
As an adult, she would go on to write over 100 picture books, along with 40 novels and 20 collections of short stories between 1969 and her death in 2012. Many of her books have become popular in schools across New Zealand, including A Lion in the Meadow, The Seven Chinese Brothers and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate, alongside many others.
Joy Cowley is an NZ writer who began her career writing adult fiction in the 1960s and 1970s. However, midway through her career she transitioned into producing books for children, which is what she's best-known for today. Her famous children's books include 1981's The Silent One, which was made into a film in 1985, Bow Down Shadrach and Gladly, Here I Come. She has also written 41 different picture books and played a major part in teaching reading skills to the children of New Zealand, through writing roughly 500 reading books for use in schools.
Cowley has received various honours for her contributions to literature and education, including the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and an OBE in 1992 for services to children's literature. She has also enjoyed massive popularity—for example, her Mrs. Wishy-Washy series has sold over 40 million copies around the world since it debuted in 1980.
Katherine Mansfield is a highly influential New Zealand writer who played a key role in the Modernist movement in the early part of the 20th century. Unlike the other New Zealand Authors mentioned here, she wrote for an adult audience, producing a mix of short stories and poetry. Today she is remembered as one of the greatest of all of the writers from New Zealand's history, with her works being translated into 25 different languages.
Mansfield was born in 1888 in Wellington, into a family who played a large role in their local community. Her grandfather had been elected to parliament, and her father was the Chairman of the Bank of New Zealand. She spent time in London and Paris as a young woman, and the writing she engaged in was more international and less tied down to provincial New Zealand issues than that of some other NZ writers. She would sadly die of tuberculosis at only 34, leaving readers across New Zealand wondering how she would have developed artistically if she had enjoyed a longer life. Today, many high schools across New Zealand have named houses after her, and her birthplace in Wellington has been preserved as the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden, which visitors can explore to learn more about her writing and life.
If you're in search of more handy content that might play a part in helping your students get to grips with some famous New Zealand Authors, here are a few fantastic resources that can be used in the classroom. These pieces of content are quick and easy to download and print out, to ensure that they don't take up much valuable lesson planning time.
