Bill Manhire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Manhire
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Manhire in 2012
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| Born | 27 December 1946 Invercargill, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Poet, short story writer, emeritus professor |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Alma mater | |
| Spouse | Marion McLeod |
| Children | 2 |
Bill Manhire (born 27 December 1946) is a famous New Zealand poet and writer. He was the very first Poet Laureate for New Zealand from 1997 to 1998. This is a special title given to a top poet.
Bill Manhire started New Zealand's first creative writing course in 1975. This was at Victoria University of Wellington. He also founded the International Institute of Modern Letters in 2001. He has always worked hard to promote New Zealand writing. Many great New Zealand writers learned from him. He has won many important awards for his work. These include a Prime Minister's Award in 2007. He also received an Arts Foundation Icon Award in 2018.
Experts say he is one of the best New Zealand poets of his time. He has helped more people enjoy poetry than almost anyone else.
Contents
Bill Manhire's Early Life
Bill Manhire was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother was from Scotland and had a science degree. His father ran pubs. They met and married during World War II. His mother came to New Zealand in 1946. She sailed on a ship with other "war brides."
He grew up living in different small-town pubs. He went to Otago Boys' High School. Later, he studied at the University of Otago in Dunedin. He earned several degrees there. He also studied old Norse stories called sagas in London.
When he was young, Bill Manhire sent his poems to a famous writer, Charles Brasch. He was very happy with Brasch's encouraging reply. This made him take his writing seriously. He also met other writers in Dunedin.
Bill Manhire's Writing Career
Bill Manhire's first poems were published in the 1960s. This was while he was still at university. His poems appeared in New Zealand magazines like Landfall. He also had poems published in British magazines.
His first book, Malady, came out in 1970. It was a very short poem with drawings by artist Ralph Hotere. His second book, The Elaboration, was also with Hotere. While living in London, Manhire helped start a small publishing company. It published books by his friends.
In 1973, Bill Manhire returned to New Zealand. He started teaching at Victoria University of Wellington. In 1975, he began New Zealand's first creative writing course. He taught this course for over 25 years. Many famous New Zealand writers studied with him. These include Elizabeth Knox and Jenny Bornholdt.
In 1997, he published Mutes & Earthquakes. This book was a collection of works by his former students. He gave two pieces of advice in the introduction. "1. Write what you know, and / 2. Write what you don't know."
From 2001 to 2013, he led the International Institute of Modern Letters. This institute helps people get advanced degrees in writing. Students there have included Eleanor Catton. In 2016, the institute's building was named the Bill Manhire House. This was to honor his work.
Bill Manhire has published many poetry books. His Collected Poems came out in 2001. His poems are known for playing with words. They are also experimental and often funny. One expert said his work shows "wonder at the strangeness of both life and language."
After his book Good Looks (1982), he wrote prose for a while. He wrote The Brain of Katherine Mansfield (1988). This book was like a Choose Your Own Adventure story. He also wrote The New Land (1990). This was a collection of funny short stories.
In 1998, Manhire visited Antarctica for several weeks. He went with another poet and a painter. This trip was part of a special program for artists. The experience inspired many poems. These poems became his book What to Call Your Child (1999). He also edited a book about Antarctica called The Wide White Page (2004). In 2004, he wrote a poem called "Erebus Voices." It was read by Sir Edmund Hillary in Antarctica. This was for the 25th anniversary of the Erebus air disaster.
Bill Manhire has helped promote New Zealand writing. He has edited several collections of New Zealand stories and poems. He edited Some Other Country: New Zealand's Best Short Stories. He also edited 100 New Zealand Poems (1993). This poetry collection was very popular. He also helped start the online Best New Zealand Poems series. For many years, he talked about poetry on Radio New Zealand.
He often works with other artists. He has worked with the artist Ralph Hotere. He has also worked with physicist Paul Callaghan. He has created music with composer Norman Meehan and singer Hannah Griffin.
Awards and Special Titles
Bill Manhire has won many top awards in New Zealand. These include:
- The Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship in 2004.
- An Arts Foundation Laureate Award in 2004.
- The Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in 2007.
He was the first New Zealand Poet Laureate in 1996. This is a very important role for a poet. In 1999, he was a visiting professor in the United States.
In 2005, he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This is a high honor for his services to literature. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Otago. In 2018, he received the Icon Award from the Arts Foundation. This award is for New Zealand's greatest artists. Only 20 living artists can have it.
His poetry has won the Poetry Prize six times at the New Zealand Book Awards:
- 1978: How to Take Your Clothes Off at the Picnic
- 1985: Zoetropes
- 1992: Milky Way Bar
- 1994: 100 New Zealand Poems (as editor)
- 1996: My Sunshine
- 2006: Lifted
Notable Students
Many writers have studied with Bill Manhire, including:
- Lynn Jenner
- Laurence Fearnley
Bill Manhire's Family Life
Bill Manhire is married to Marion McLeod, who is a journalist. They have two children, Vanessa and Toby. Both of their children are also journalists and writers.
Selected Works
Poetry Books
- 1970: Malady (with Ralph Hotere)
- 1972: The Elaboration (with Ralph Hotere)
- 1982: Good Looks
- 1991: Milky Way Bar
- 1999: What to Call Your Child
- 2001: Collected Poems
- 2005: Lifted
- 2017: Some Things to Place in a Coffin
- 2020: Wow
Books He Edited
- 1984: Some Other Country: New Zealand's Best Short Stories (with Marion McLeod)
- 1993: 100 New Zealand Poems
- 1997: Mutes & Earthquakes: Bill Manhire's Creative Writing Course at Victoria
- 2004: The Wide White Page: Writers Imagine Antarctica
- 2005: 121 New Zealand Poems
Other Books and Works
- 1988: The Brain of Katherine Mansfield (a choose-your-own-adventure book)
- 1990: The New Land: a Picture Book (short stories)
- 2003: Under the Influence (memoir)
- 2012: These Rough Notes (book and music album)
- 2016: The Stories of Bill Manhire (collection of short stories)
