Paula Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paula Morris
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Morris in 2019
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Paula Jane Kiri Morris
18 August 1965 Auckland, New Zealand
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| Alma mater | University of York |
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| Thesis | Magnolias and rattlesnakes: the southern lady in American fiction (1989) |
| Doctoral advisor | Hermione Lee |
Paula Jane Kiri Morris MNZM (born August 18, 1965) is a New Zealand writer. She writes novels and short stories. She also works as an editor and teaches about literature. Paula Morris is a professor at the University of Auckland. She also started the Academy of New Zealand Literature.
Contents
Life and Education
Paula Morris was born and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. Her father is from New Zealand and her mother is from England. Her family has tribal connections to Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri, and Ngāti Whātua.
Early Studies and Career
In 1985, she earned a degree in English and history from the University of Auckland. That same year, she moved to the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD (a high-level university degree) at the University of York. Her supervisor was Hermione Lee.
After living in Manchester for a short time, she moved to London. There, she worked for BBC Radio 3 as a production assistant. She also worked for music companies like Virgin Records and PolyGram. She helped with press and promotions for their classical music.
In 1994, Paula Morris moved to New York. She became a Product Manager for ECM Records, a German music label. She worked her way up to become Label Director for ECM. Later, she became Vice-President of Marketing for World Music and Jazz at BMG Classics.
Becoming a Writer
Paula Morris started taking fiction writing classes in 1997. Two years later, she began writing full-time. She wrote for The New York Times and created entries for an encyclopedia. She also worked as a branding consultant.
In 2001, she returned to New Zealand. She joined the Master of Creative Writing program at Victoria University of Wellington. There, she learned from the famous writer Bill Manhire.
From 2002 to 2004, Morris attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the United States. This is a very famous writing program. She received a special fellowship and also taught writing there. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree.
Teaching and Writing
From 2005 to 2010, Paula Morris was a professor at Tulane University in New Orleans. In 2010, she moved back to the UK to teach at the University of Stirling in Scotland. She directed a new writing program there.
Between 2012 and 2014, she was a writer-in-residence at the University of Sheffield. This means she was a writer who taught and worked at the university. Since 2015, she has taught at the University of Auckland. She leads the Master of Creative Writing program there.
Her short story False River was nominated for a major award in 2015. This story is the title of her book False River (2017). This book includes stories and essays about lies and secret histories.
Writing Career
Paula Morris's first novel was Queen of Beauty (2002). It was based on her master's project at Victoria University. This book won the NZSA Hubert Church Best Book of Fiction award in 2003.
Novels and Short Stories
Many of the stories she wrote at Iowa are in her book Forbidden Cities (2008). This book was a finalist for the Commonwealth Prize. While in New Orleans, she finished two more novels: Hibiscus Coast (2005) and Trendy But Casual (2007).
Her 2011 novel Rangatira won the best fiction award at the 2012 New Zealand Post Book Awards. It also won an award at the Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards. Radio New Zealand turned the novel into a radio series. It was also published in German.
Young Adult and Children's Books
Paula Morris has written several books for young adults (YA). Her first YA novel was Ruined, published in 2009. It is a supernatural mystery. She followed this with Dark Souls (2011) and Unbroken (2013), which is a sequel to Ruined. Her most recent YA novel is The Eternal City, which is set in Rome.
In 2013, Morris published her first children's book. It was called Hene and the Burning Harbour. This book is part of Puffin's New Zealand Girls series.
Other Projects and Awards
Paula Morris has attended many literary festivals around the world. She has also held several writer's residencies. These are special times when writers can focus on their work. One was the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship in 2008. During this time, she edited two important books: The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Short Stories and an issue of Landfall magazine.
She has received other residencies in Denmark, Italy, Brussels, and Latvia. In 2018, she won the New Zealand Post Katherine Mansfield Prize. In 2019, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This is a special honor for her contributions to literature.
Morris has also co-edited two important collections of writing: Ko Aotearoa Tātou (2020) and A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand (2021). In 2020, she worked with photographer Haru Sameshima on Shining Land: Looking for Robin Hyde.
In November 2021, Paula Morris launched KoreaSeen. This is a website where people can find reviews and articles about Korean TV shows and movies.
As an associate professor at the University of Auckland, Paula Morris leads the Master of Creative Writing degree program.
