Bill Manhire
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Manhire, CNZM
(born December 27, 1946, in Invercargill
) is an award-winning New Zealand
poet, short story writer, and professor, New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate.
, and later the University of Otago
in Dunedin
where he received his B.A. in 1967, his M.A. (with honors) in 1968, and his M.Litt. in 1970. He went on to study at University College, London (1970-73, M.Phil)
His work has won the New Zealand Book Awards poetry prize five times, in 1978, 1985, 1992,1996 and his most recent work Lifted received the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards
Poetry Prize. Manhire has been a strong promoter of local poetry and other writing, acting as editor of several compilations of New Zealand short stories, most notably Some Other Country (1984) and Six by Six (1989). His collection of New Zealand poetry, 100 New Zealand Poems (1993), proved particularly popular, and was subsequently expanded to become 121 New Zealand Poems (2005). He also helped start the Best New Zealand Poems series
, which began selecting poems in 2001. For the 25th anniversary of the Erebus air disaster
, Manhire wrote the poem "Erebus Voices", which was read by Sir Edmund Hillary
at the commemorative service at Scott Base
, Antarctica. Bill Manhire currently lectures in English and creative writing at Victoria University of Wellington
, where he is also the director of the International Institute of Modern Letters. Some of the work of his former students was published in the volume Mutes and Earthquakes in 1997.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born December 27, 1946, in Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
) is an award-winning New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
poet, short story writer, and professor, New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate.
Biography
Manhire attended the Otago Boys' High SchoolOtago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools, located in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. It was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 1885. The main building was designed by Robert Lawson and is regarded as one of the finest Gothic revival...
, and later the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
where he received his B.A. in 1967, his M.A. (with honors) in 1968, and his M.Litt. in 1970. He went on to study at University College, London (1970-73, M.Phil)
His work has won the New Zealand Book Awards poetry prize five times, in 1978, 1985, 1992,1996 and his most recent work Lifted received the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards
Montana New Zealand Book Awards
The New Zealand Post Book Awards are a series of literary awards to works of New Zealand citizens. They were created in 1996, as a merge of the two previously most relevant awards in New Zealand: the Montana Book Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards...
Poetry Prize. Manhire has been a strong promoter of local poetry and other writing, acting as editor of several compilations of New Zealand short stories, most notably Some Other Country (1984) and Six by Six (1989). His collection of New Zealand poetry, 100 New Zealand Poems (1993), proved particularly popular, and was subsequently expanded to become 121 New Zealand Poems (2005). He also helped start the Best New Zealand Poems series
Best New Zealand Poems series
The Best New Zealand Poems series, begun in 2001 is an annual online selection of poems chosen by guest editors. The program is run by the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand....
, which began selecting poems in 2001. For the 25th anniversary of the Erebus air disaster
Air New Zealand Flight 901
Air New Zealand Flight 901 was a scheduled Air New Zealand Antarctic sightseeing flight that operated between 1977 and 1979, from Auckland Airport to Antarctica and return via Christchurch...
, Manhire wrote the poem "Erebus Voices", which was read by Sir Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
at the commemorative service at Scott Base
Scott Base
Scott Base is a research facility located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two British expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica...
, Antarctica. Bill Manhire currently lectures in English and creative writing at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, where he is also the director of the International Institute of Modern Letters. Some of the work of his former students was published in the volume Mutes and Earthquakes in 1997.
Poetry collections
- 1970: Malady
- 1972: The Elaboration
- 1975: Song Cycle
- 1977: How to Take Off Your Clothes at the Picnic
- 1979: Dawn/Water
- 1982: Good Looks
- 1983: Locating the Beloved and Other Stories
- 1984: Zoetropes: Poems 1972-82
- 1990: The Old Man's Example
- 1991: Milky Way Bar
- 1996: My Sunshine
- 1996: Sheet Music: Poems 1967-1982
- 1999: What to Call Your Child
- 2001: Collected Poems
- 2005: Lifted
Further reading
- "Pavlova and Wrists: The Poetry of Bill Manhire", by Peter CrispPeter CrispPeter Crisp is an Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006. He was formerly a Wentworth Shire Councillor....
, Islands 24 (Auckland), November 1978. - "The Poetry of Bill Manhire", Hugh Lauder, in LandfallLandfall (journal)Landfall is New Zealand's oldest extant literary journal. First published in 1947 by Caxton Press, under the editorship of Charles Brasch, it features new fiction and poetry, biographical and critical essays, cultural commentary, and reviews of books, art, film, drama and dance.Additionally, the...
(Christchurch), September 1983. - "Joker: Playing Poetry in the Eighties: Manhire, Curnow, Stead, Horrocks", by Michele Leggott, in World Literature Written in English(Singapore), 23(1), winter 1984.
- "Writing through the Margins: Sharon Thesen's and Bill Manhire's Apparently Lyrical Poetry" by Douglas Barbour, in Australian and New Zealand Studies in Canada(Prince George, British Columbia, Canada), 4, fall 1990.
- "The Old Man's Example: Manhire in the Seventies" by John Newton, in Opening the Book, edited by Mark Williams and Michele Leggott, Auckland, Auckland University Press, 1995