Maurice Duggan
Maurice Duggan was a notable New Zealand author and advertising professional, recognized for his contributions to literature and his impactful career in advertising. Born into a family of four children, Duggan faced significant challenges early in life, including the loss of his mother and a serious health issue that led to the amputation of his left leg. This period of hospitalization sparked his interest in writing, which he pursued fervently throughout World War II. His professional journey began in advertising in 1961 and he quickly rose to the position of chief copywriter at J. English Wright Advertising Ltd.
Duggan's literary works include a variety of short stories and children's fiction, earning him several prestigious awards such as the Hubert Church Memorial Award and the Esther Glenn Award. He was also a Robert Burns fellow, reflecting his esteemed standing within the New Zealand literary community. Despite personal struggles with alcoholism that affected his career, Duggan made a notable recovery before facing a cancer diagnosis. He published numerous stories in the acclaimed periodical Landfall, with his final work completed shortly before his death. Duggan's legacy includes a rich body of work that continues to resonate in New Zealand literature.
Maurice Duggan
New Zealand novelist and short-fiction writer.
- Born: November 25, 1922
- Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
- Died: December 11, 1974
- Place of death:Takapuna, New Zealand
Biography
Maurice Duggan was one of four children born to Mary Ellen Condon and Robert Harbron Duggan. After the death of his mother, Duggan and the rest of his family moved to Paeroa, New Zealand, where he stayed for a year before returning to Auckland to attend Sacred Heart College. Duggan left the school and moved back to Paeroa less than a year later. In 1938, he finally settled in Auckland and started holding various jobs. One such job was at a metal stamping plant, where he began work in 1943. Duggan kicked off his advertising career in 1961 at Carlton-Carruthers du Chateau as a copywriter. In 1965, he joined J. English Wright Advertising Ltd. and became the chief copywriter. After a year, Duggan took a break from advertisement to complete his stories for O’Leary’s Orchard, and Other Stories, but eventually returned to J. English Wright as the company’s director.
Duggan did not gain interest in literature until 1940, when he was hospitalized for the amputation of his left leg. During his recuperation, he began to express his emotions in writing; he continued to write during World War II. Duggan married Barbara Mary Platts in 1946 and the two had a son in 1954. In the late 1960s, Duggan became an alcoholic and began to withdraw himself from the social world. He was forced to leave J. English Wright in 1972, when his alcoholism grew out of control. By 1973, Duggan had fully recovered but soon found out he had cancer.
Many awards were presented to Duggan during his lifetime. He won the Hubert Church Memorial Award for Prose in 1957 for Immanuel’s Land. In 1959, for Falter Tom and the Water Boy, he received the Esther Glenn Award from the New Zealand Library Association and the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Award. Duggan also became a Robert Burns fellow in 1960 at the University of Otago. The New Zealand Literary Fund awarded Duggan a Scholarship in Letters in 1966. He also received the Freda Buckland Award in 1970. Duggan published many of his short stories in the periodical Landfall. His final story, “The Magsman Miscellany,” was completed during the last year of his life but was not published until after his death.
Author Works
Long Fiction:
Doctor Luke of the Labrador, 1904
The Mother, 1905
Short Fiction:
Immanuel's Land: Stories, 1956
Summer in the Gravel Pit: Stories, 1965
O'Leary's Orchard, and Other Stories, 1970
Children's/Young Adult Fiction:
Falter Tom and the Water Boy, 1957
The Fabulous McFanes and other Children's Stories, 1974
Poetry:
A Voice for the Minotaur: Selected Poems, 2001
Bibliography
"Duggan, Maurice." New Zealand Book Council, Jan. 2017, www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writer/duggan-maurice/. Accessed 26 June 2017. Provides the Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature's biography of Duggan as well as additional sources for research.
Richards, Ian. To Bed at Noon: The Life and Art of Maurice Duggan. Auckland UP, 1997. A thorough biography of Duggan that includes coverage of his battles with alcoholism.
Schwass, Margot. "Mentors and Protégés." New Zealand Books, vol. 24, no. 3, 2014, p. 20. Discusses author Frank Sargeson's relationship and correspondence with as well as significant influence on fellow writers Duggan and Greville Texidor.
"Story: Duggan, Maurice Noel; Biography." Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 2000, teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5d28/duggan-maurice-noel. Accessed 26 June 2017. A detailed biography of Duggan that gives insight into his development as a writer.