Maurice Shadbolt facts for kids
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Maurice Shadbolt (born June 4, 1932 – died October 10, 2004) was a famous writer from New Zealand. He wrote many books and sometimes plays. He was known for telling stories about New Zealand life and history.
Contents
Maurice Shadbolt's Early Life
Maurice Shadbolt was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the oldest of three children. He had a younger brother named Peter and a sister named Julia. Maurice went to Te Kuiti High School and Avondale College. He also studied at Auckland University College.
Maurice started his writing career early. He wrote for local community newspapers in West Auckland. In the 1960s, he moved to Titirangi with his family. They bought a house that looked over Little Muddy Creek. He lived and wrote there for 42 years.
His Amazing Writing Career
Maurice Shadbolt was a very busy writer. He wrote 11 novels, which are long stories. He also published four collections of short stories. These are books with many shorter tales. He wrote two books about his own life, called autobiographies. He even wrote a history book about war. Plus, he wrote a book of journalism and several plays.
Maurice won the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Award three times. This award is for the best short story. He won it in 1963, 1967, and 1995. His first book of short stories was called The New Zealanders. It was published in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
One of his most famous books is Season of the Jew. This novel was published in 1987. It tells the story of Te Kooti, an important leader in New Zealand history.
Awards and Recognition
In 1989, Maurice Shadbolt received a special honor. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award is given for great service to a country. Maurice received it for his important contributions to literature.
Later Life and Family
Maurice Shadbolt passed away on October 10, 2004. He was in a rest home in Taumarunui. He was surrounded by his children when he died. Doctors first thought he had Alzheimer's disease. Later, it was found to be Lewy body dementia.
Maurice had five children. Sean, Brendan, and twins Tui and Daniel were from his first marriage. Their mother was Gillian Heming, a journalist and author. His daughter Brigid was from his second marriage to Barbara Magner. Barbara was a television presenter. Maurice was also married to actress Bridget Armstrong. His cousin, Tim Shadbolt, was the Mayor of Invercargill for almost 20 years.
See also
- New Zealand literature
