Patricia Grace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Grace DCNZM QSO
Grace in 2016
Born	Patricia Frances Gunson (1937-08-17) 17 August 1937 (age 87) Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation	Author
Genre	Fiction, short stories, children's fiction
Spouse	Kerehi Waiariki Grace ​ (died 2013)​
Children	7, including Kohai Grace

Patricia Frances Grace (born 17 August 1937) is a famous New Zealand writer. She writes novels, short stories, and books for children. Patricia Grace started writing when she was a young adult. At that time, she was working as a teacher.

Her first short stories appeared in magazines. In 1975, she became the first Māori woman to publish a collection of short stories. This book was called Waiariki. Her first novel, Mutuwhenua: The Moon Sleeps, came out in 1978.

Since the 1980s, Patricia Grace has been a full-time writer. She has written many books. Her stories often explore Māori life and culture. They also show how other cultures, like Pākehā (New Zealand European) culture, affect Māori people. She often uses the Māori language in her books.

One of her most famous novels is Potiki (1986). It tells the story of a Māori community. They are fighting to protect their ancestral land from private developers. Patricia Grace has also written many children's books. She wanted to create stories where Māori children could see their own lives.

Patricia Grace is a very important writer in New Zealand. She has won many awards. These include the Kiriyama Prize and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. She has also received two special doctorates for her writing. In 2007, she was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for her great work in literature.

Early Life and Becoming a Writer

Patricia Grace was born on 17 August 1937 in Wellington, New Zealand. Her family comes from the Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, and Te Āti Awa tribes. Her father was Māori, and her mother was European and Irish Catholic. She grew up in Melrose, a suburb of Wellington. She also spent time with her father's family in Hongoeka, on their ancestral land.

When she was seven, her father joined the Māori Battalion. He went to fight in the Second World War. Patricia went to St Anne's School. She later said she felt different there. She felt she was sometimes blamed for things because she was Māori.

As a child, Patricia did not learn to speak Māori. It was only spoken at special events like tangi (Māori funeral ceremonies). As an adult, she tried to learn it, but it was hard. She later went to St Mary's College. She was very good at basketball there. After high school, she went to Wellington Teachers' Training College.

Patricia Grace started reading books by New Zealand authors after high school. She said she didn't know that being a writer was something she could do. She began writing when she was 25. At that time, she was working as a teacher in North Auckland.

Her first short story, "The Dream," was published in 1966. It appeared in a magazine called Te Ao Hou / The New World. Later, South Pacific Television made a TV version of this story. She also had stories published in the New Zealand Listener. Because of these early stories, a publisher asked her to create a collection of short stories. In 1974, she received a special grant to help Māori writers.

Patricia Grace's Writing Journey

First Books and New Voices

Patricia Grace's first book, Waiariki, came out in 1975. It was the first collection of short stories by a Māori woman writer. The ten stories in the book showed many different parts of Māori life and culture. Another writer, Rachel Nunns, said these stories helped readers understand what it means to be Māori.

Her first novel, Mutuwhenua: The Moon Sleeps (1978), was about a Māori woman and a Pākehā man. It explored their relationship and how their different cultures affected them. This story was inspired by her own parents. It was the first time a Māori writer had described such a relationship.

Her second collection of short stories, The Dream Sleepers and Other Stories, was published in 1980. This book included a famous three-page story called "Between Earth and Sky." It is told by a mother talking to her new baby. These early books were very well-received. In 1984, she worked with artist Robyn Kahukiwa on Wahine Toa. This book was about women from Māori legends. Patricia Grace continued teaching full-time until 1985. But she also received grants to help her writing.

Writing for Young Readers

In the early 1980s, Patricia Grace started writing for children. She wanted to write books where Māori children could see their own lives. The Kuia and the Spider / Te Kuia me te Pungawerewere (1981) was one of her first children's books. It was illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa. The story is about a spinning contest between an elderly Māori woman (kuia) and a spider. It was published in both English and Māori.

She also published Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street / Te Tuna Watakirihi me Nga Tamariki o te Tiriti o Toa (1984). This book was also illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa. It was published in English, Māori, and Samoan. Patricia Grace also wrote several Māori language readers. The Trolley (1993) told the story of a single mother making a trolley for her children for Christmas.

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

In 1985, Patricia Grace received a writing fellowship. This allowed her to stop teaching and become a full-time writer. She then finished her most successful novel, Potiki (1986). This book is about a Māori community fighting against developers. The developers want to buy their ancestral land.

The word "potiki" means "youngest child" or "last-born" in Māori. It refers to the main character, Toko. He is a child who can see the future and is affected by the land conflict. Patricia Grace chose not to include a glossary for Māori words in the book. She also didn't italicize them. She wanted the Māori language to be treated as a normal language in its own country.

Some critics saw Potiki as a political book. But Patricia Grace said she was just trying to write about "ordinary lives of ordinary people." She didn't expect it to be seen as political. This novel has been translated into seven languages. In 2020, it was re-published in Britain by Penguin Classics.

Patricia Grace also helped promote Māori arts in the 1980s. She was a founding member of Haeata, a group for Māori women artists. She also helped start Te Hā, a group of Māori writers. Her third short story collection, Electric City and Other Stories, came out in 1987.

The quotation for Patricia Grace on the Wellington Writers Walk

Later Novels and Recognition

Grace's third novel, Cousins, was published in 1992. It tells the story of three cousins throughout their lives. The book explores family history (whakapapa) and family ties. It also touches on sad parts of New Zealand's history. For example, it mentions Māori children being taken from their families by the state. Patricia Grace said she likes to develop characters first, then the plot.

Her fourth novel, Baby No-Eyes, came out in 1998. It took her five years to write. The story is told by an unborn child. This child was killed in a car accident with her father. The book mixes family drama with current Māori issues. Reviewers praised Grace's gentle way of handling serious topics.

Her fifth novel, Dogside Story (2001), focused on a small Māori community by the sea. By this time, Patricia Grace was a very well-known writer. Her sixth novel, Tu (2004), was based on the experiences of the Māori Battalion in Italy during the Second World War. Her father and other family members were part of this Battalion. She called writing about "men and especially men at war" a "wonderful challenge." Reviewers called Tu a great achievement. In 2013, it was made into a play.

Small Holes in the Silence (2006) was her first short story collection since 1987. In 2008, she published a children's book called Maraea and the Albatrosses / Ko Maraea Me Nga Toroa. It was illustrated by her brother, Brian Gunson. She also wrote a non-fiction book, Ned & Katina: a true love story (2009). This book was about a Māori Battalion soldier and his Cretan wife.

Grace's seventh novel, Chappy, was published in 2015. It was her first novel in over ten years. It was dedicated to her husband, who had passed away in 2013. Chappy is a family story about a Japanese man and a Māori woman. It explores themes like accepting different cultures, loss, love, and belonging. In the same year, she published the children's picture book Haka. It tells the story of the "Ka Mate" haka.

Patricia Grace is still seen as a "pioneering role" model in New Zealand literature. In 2016, a sculpture in her honor was put on the Porirua Writers' Walk. It features a quote from her novel Potiki. Her children's book Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street was made into a stage play in 2017.

Her autobiography, From the Centre: a writer's life, came out in 2021. Reviewers said it showed a determined and thoughtful writer. In the same year, her novel Cousins (1992) was made into a feature film. In 2024, a new collection of her short stories was published. It was called Bird Child and Other Stories. Her granddaughter designed the cover.

Awards and Special Honours

Patricia Grace has won many awards for her writing. Her first book, Waiariki (1975), won the Hubert Church Memorial Award. Her novel Potiki (1986) won the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction in 1987. It also won an award in Germany.

Her children's book The Kuia and the Spider / Te Kuia me te Pungawerewere (1981) won the Children's Picture Book of the Year Award. The Trolley won an award for its illustrations in 1994. In 1988, she was given the title of Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO) for her community work. She also received special writing scholarships. In 1989, she received an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Victoria University of Wellington.

Dogside Story (2001) won the 2001 Kiriyama Prize for Fiction. It was also considered for the Booker Prize. Tu (2004) won several awards, including the Deutz Medal for Fiction. Chappy (2015) was a finalist for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Her children's book Haka won an award for the best Māori language work in 2016.

In 2005, Patricia Grace received an Icon Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. This award is given to New Zealand's most important living artists. In 2006, she received a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement. This recognized her huge contribution to New Zealand literature. The Prime Minister at the time, Helen Clark, said Grace's work was key to Māori fiction in English.

In 2007, Patricia Grace was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM). This was for her services to literature. In 2009, she chose not to accept the title of Dame Companion. She felt that bringing back such titles was a step backward and too colonial.

In 2008, Grace won the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. This is a very important international award. Joy Harjo, who nominated Grace, said her stories are a "shining and enduring place." She said Grace's writing combines Māori storytelling with modern forms.

In 2016, she received another honorary Doctorate of Letters from the World Indigenous Nations University. This was for her writing and her focus on Māori themes. In the same year, she received the Te Tohu Aroha mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu award. She called it a "great honour."

Personal Life and Community

Patricia Grace met her husband, Kerehi Waiariki Grace, at teachers' college. He was also a children's author. They had seven children together. Kerehi passed away in 2013. Patricia Grace said they shared all responsibilities in their marriage. Her novel Chappy (2015) was dedicated to him. Their daughter Kohai is a well-known weaver. Their sons Wiremu and Himonia are filmmakers.

Patricia Grace also does volunteer work. For example, she helps manage work schemes for unemployed people in her iwi (tribe). In 2014, she won a legal case against the New Zealand Government. The government had tried to take land at Hongoeka Bay. This land was the last part of her ancestor Wi Parata's land held by his family. The court decided the land should be protected as a Māori reservation. As of 2021, Patricia Grace was still living in Hongoeka. She lives on her ancestral land, near her home marae (meeting place).

Selected Works by Patricia Grace

Novels

• Mutuwhenua: The Moon Sleeps (1978)
• Potiki (1986)
• Cousins (1992)
• Baby No-eyes (1998)
• Dogside Story (2001)
• Tu (2004)
• Chappy (2015)

Non-fiction

• Ned and Katina: a true love story (2009), a biography
• From the Centre: a writer's life (2021), her autobiography

Short Story Collections

• Waiariki (1975)
• The Dream Sleepers (1980)
• Electric City and Other Stories (1987)
• Selected Stories (1991)
• The Sky People (1994)
• Collected Stories (2001)
• Small Holes in the Silence (2006)
• Bird Child and Other Stories (2024)

Children's Books

• The Kuia and the Spider / Te Kuia me te Pungawerewere (1981), illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa
• Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street / Te Tuna Watakirihi me Nga Tamariki o te Tiriti o Toa (1984), illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa
• The Trolley (1993), illustrated by Kerry Gemmill
• Areta & the Kahawai / Ko Areta me Nga Kahawai (1994), illustrated by Kerry Gemmill
• Maraea and the Albatrosses / Ko Maraea me Nga Toroa (2008), illustrated by Brian Gunson
• Haka / Whiti te Rā! (2015), illustrated by Andrew Burdan and translated into Māori by Kawata Teepa