Maurice Gee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maurice Gee
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Gee in 2018
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| Born | Maurice Gough Gee 22 August 1931 Whakatāne, New Zealand |
| Died | 12 June 2025 (aged 93) Nelson, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse |
Margareta Gee
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 3 |
Maurice Gough Gee (22 August 1931 – 12 June 2025) was one of New Zealand's most famous and successful authors. He wrote more than thirty novels for both adults and children. His work earned him many awards in New Zealand and around the world.
Gee was known for his exciting books for young adults, like the science-fiction classic Under the Mountain (1979). He also wrote award-winning novels for adults, including Plumb (1978), which is seen as one of the greatest New Zealand novels ever written. In 2003, he was given an Icon Award, an honour for New Zealand's most important living artists.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Maurice Gee was born in Whakatāne, New Zealand. He grew up in Henderson, a suburb of Auckland. This town later appeared in many of his stories. His mother, Lyndahl, was a writer, and his father, Leonard, was a carpenter. Maurice was the middle of their three sons.
His grandfather, James Chapple, was a minister. He later inspired the main character in Gee's famous novel, Plumb.
Gee went to Henderson Primary School and Avondale College. He later earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Auckland. The university later gave him a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998 and an honorary Doctorate of Literature in 2004.
A Career in Writing
Starting Out
Gee began writing stories while he was at university. After graduating, he worked as a high school teacher for a short time before deciding to become a full-time writer. His first novel, The Big Season (1962), was about a rugby player. Gee was a keen rugby player himself and used his own experiences to write the story.
In 1964, Gee received the Robert Burns Fellowship, a major award for New Zealand writers. During this time, he wrote his second novel, A Special Flower (1965). To support his writing, he also worked as a librarian in several cities.
His third novel, In My Father's Den (1972), was a mystery. It was so popular that it was made into a successful film in 2004.
Famous Novels and Children's Fiction
Gee's most famous novel for adults is Plumb (1978). The story is based on the life of his grandfather. The book won major awards in both the UK and New Zealand. It was the first in a trilogy of books that followed the same family. The second book, Meg (1981), also won a top prize.
Around the same time, Gee began writing for young people. His first children's novel was Under the Mountain (1979). It's a science-fiction adventure about twins who find aliens living under Auckland's volcanic Lake Pupuke. The book is a New Zealand classic and has been made into a TV series, a movie, and a stage play.
Gee wrote many other popular books for young readers. His science-fiction trilogy, which starts with The Halfmen of O (1982), won the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year award.
To earn more money, Gee also wrote for television shows. He wrote for the soap opera Close to Home and the police drama Mortimer's Patch. Two of his children's books, The Fire-Raiser (1986) and The Champion (1989), started as ideas for TV.
Later Career and Legacy
Gee's novel Going West (1992) confirmed his place as one of New Zealand's best writers. The book is partly based on his own childhood in Henderson. It inspired the Going West Books & Writers Festival, an annual event in Auckland.
In 1992, Gee won the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, which allowed him to live and write in France for a year. While there, he wrote the novel Crime Story (1994). This book was later adapted into the film Fracture.
His children's book The Fat Man (1994) won Book of the Year.
Throughout his career, Gee continued to win major awards. In 2002, he received the Margaret Mahy Award for his great contribution to children's literature. In 2004, he was given a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement. His novels Blindsight (2005) and Salt (2007) also won top prizes.
Even after saying he would retire, Gee published one more book for young adults, The Severed Land, in 2017. It won the top award for young adult fiction that year. His last book was a memoir called Memory Pieces (2018), where he wrote about his parents, his childhood, and his wife.
Writing Style
Gee's novels are almost always set in New Zealand. He often used fictional versions of Henderson, the town where he grew up. His books for adults are known for being realistic and often explore families facing difficult challenges.
His books for children and teenagers are usually fantasy or science-fiction stories. Even in these adventures, he was not afraid to include serious or sad moments. His writing gives a rich picture of New Zealand life while also exploring the big challenges that people face.
Personal Life
Gee married his wife, Margareta, in 1970. They met at a library where she worked. He said that meeting her changed his life and helped him become a serious writer. They had two daughters, Abigail and Emily. Emily is also a writer of fantasy and historical novels.
In his later years, Gee lived in Nelson with his wife. He died in Nelson on 12 June 2025.
Awards and Honours
Gee won many awards during his long career. Some of the most important include:
- 1964: Robert Burns Fellowship
- 1978: James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Plumb
- 1979: Top prizes at the New Zealand Book Awards for Plumb
- 1983: AIM Children's Book Awards Book of the Year for The Halfmen of O
- 1986: Esther Glen Award for Motherstone
- 1992: Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship
- 1995: AIM Children's Book Awards Book of the Year for The Fat Man
- 1998: Top prize at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards for Live Bodies
- 2002: Margaret Mahy Award for his contribution to children's literature
- 2003: Named an Arts Foundation Icon
- 2004: Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement
- 2006: Top prize at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards for Blindsight
- 2008: New Zealand Post Young Adult Fiction Award for Salt
- 2017: Top prize for Young Adult Fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for The Severed Land
Adaptations
Many of Gee's books have been adapted into movies, TV shows, and plays.
Films
- Fracture (2004), based on the novel Crime Story
- In My Father's Den (2004)
- Under the Mountain (2009)
Television
- Under the Mountain (1981), an eight-part series
Theatre
- Under the Mountain, a play by the Auckland Theatre Company (2018)
See also
- New Zealand literature
