Maurice Gee
Maurice Gee is a prominent New Zealand author, born on August 22, 1931, in Whakatane. He is renowned for his extensive body of work, which includes novels for both adults and children. His literary career began in the 1950s, with his breakthrough novel "Plumb" published in 1978, followed by a trilogy that also includes "Meg" and "Sole Survivor," exploring complex themes of family and life in 20th-century New Zealand. Gee's writing is characterized by rich descriptions and a deep engagement with social issues, including racism and violence.
In addition to adult fiction, Gee has made significant contributions to children's literature, with notable works like "Under the Mountain" and "The World Around the Corner." His narratives often intertwine fantasy elements with contemporary social challenges, reflecting his versatility as a writer. Over his career, he has received numerous accolades, including the New Zealand Fiction Award, and was honored with an honorary doctorate from the University of Auckland in 2004. His memoir, "Memory Pieces," published in 2018, marks a reflective culmination of his literary journey. As a literary figure, Gee's influence and recognition underscore his importance in New Zealand’s cultural landscape.
Maurice Gee
New Zealand adult and children’s novelist.
- Born: August 22, 1931
- Place of Birth: Whakatane, New Zealand
Biography
Maurice Gough Gee was born in Whakatane, New Zealand, on August 22, 1931, the son of Leonard William Gee, a carpenter and amateur boxer, and Hannah Glyndall Gee, née Chapple. His grandfather James Chapple—a freethinker expelled from his Presbyterian ministry for heresy and imprisoned for sedition during World War I—was the model for the protagonist of his breakthrough novel Plumb (1978). Gee spent most of his childhood in the small town of Henderson before it was coopted as a suburb of Auckland. The environs of the town, especially Henderson Creek, feature widely in his work. He was educated at Avondale College and the University of Auckland, from which he graduated with an MA in English in 1954. He was a keen rugby player, and he used his rugby experiences to good effect in his first novel, The Big Season (1962).
Gee published his first short story in 1955, but his early publications were sparse. He worked as a schoolteacher in Paeroa for two years but found working in libraries more congenial. All his jobs were, however, casual ones that provided him with financial support while he established his writing career. He married Margaretha Garden in 1970, and they settled in Nelson, New Zealand, in the mid-1970s.
Gee’s published A Special Flower (1965), In My Father’s Den (1972), and Games of Choice (1976) before his major breakthrough came with the trilogy that developed from Plumb. The other volumes were Meg (1981) and Sole Survivor (1983). This series, cast as a family saga extending over three generations, made significant comments on life in New Zealand in the twentieth century. Between publishing Plumb and Meg, Gee published his first children’s book, Under the Mountain (1979), in which exotic giant slugs lurking beneath Auckland’s volcanic landscape plan to adapt the surface to their own ecological requirements. He soon became as well known for his work for younger readers as for his adult novels. The World Around the Corner (1980) similarly deals with an apocalyptic threat to world, which becomes visible by means of magic spectacles. The trilogy comprising The Halfmen of O (1982), The Priests of Ferris (1984), and Motherstone (1985) is an elaborate portal fantasy. The Fire-Raiser (1986) and The Fat Man (1994) are historical novels set in 1915 and the 1940s, respectively. The Champion (1989), about racism in 1940s New Zealand, was based on an influential TV series.
As Gee’s children’s novels became more naturalistically inclined, his work for adults became increasingly reflective. Prowlers (1987) looks back over the history of the twentieth century from the viewpoint of philosophical scientist Sir Noel Papps and includes an awed contemplation of the development of modern astronomy that is linked to the aesthetic appreciation of music. The Burning Boy (1990) is a contemporary social novel. Going West (1993) is a study of literary creativity that includes a good deal of disguised autobiography. Crime Story (1994) explores links between crime and politics. Like many of his works it includes significant depictions of violence, a theme that many critics noted Gee handles with great skill. Live Bodies (1998) describes the troubled career of Austrian Jew in 1940s New Zealand. Ellie and the Shadow Man (2001) picks up themes from the children's novel Hostel Girl (1999).
The Scornful Moon (2003), whose principal characters include a cabinet minister, a lunar scientist and a literary scholar, continues themes from several earlier novels. Blindsight (2005) and Access Road (2009) rounded out his adult-oriented novel output of the 2000s. Gee also received acclaim for the children's novels Salt (2007), Gool (2008), and The Limping Man (2010), which depict a dystopian world. Critics noted that Gee's writing for younger readers spared none of the descriptive talent of his other works.
Several of Gee’s works have also been adapted for film or television. A film version of In My Father's Den was released in 2004. Under the Mountain was turned into a miniseries in 1979 and a feature film in 2009. Crime Story received a cinematic treatment in 2004. Gee received numerous honors and awards for his works and in recognition of his status as one of New Zealand’s most important authors. His books won literary prizes including the New Zealand Fiction Award, the Wattie Award, and the Deutz Medal for Fiction. He was recognized by the Children’s Literature Foundation in 2002, presented with a New Zealand Icon Award by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand in 2003, and won the 2004 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement. Gee also received an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Auckland in 2004.
In 2018, Gee published his memoir, Memory Pieces, which he said was going to be the final work of his career.
Author Works
Children’s and Young Adult Literature:
Under the Mountain, 1979
The World around the Corner, 1980
The Halfmen of O, 1982 (book 1 of the O trilogy)
The Priests of Ferris, 1984 (book 2 of the O trilogy)
Motherstone, 1985 (book 3 of the O trilogy)
The Fire-Raiser, 1986
The Champion, 1989
The Fat Man, 1994
Loving Ways, 1996
Orchard Street, 1998
Hostel Girl, 1999
Ellie and the Shadow Man, 2001
Salt, 2007 (book 1 of the Salt Trilogy)
Gool, 2008 (book 2 of the Salt Trilogy)
The Limping Man, 2010 (book 3 of the Salt Trilogy)
The Severed Land, 2017
Long Fiction:
The Big Season, 1962
A Special Flower, 1965
In My Father's Den, 1972
Games of Choice, 1976
Plumb, 1978 (book 1 of the Plumb Trilogy)
Meg, 1981 (book 2 of the Plumb Trilogy)
Sole Survivor, 1983 (book 1 of the Plumb Trilogy)
Prowlers, 1987
The Burning Boy, 1990
Going West, 1993
Crime Story, 1994
Loving Ways, 1996
Live Bodies, 1998
The Scornful Moon, 2003
Blindsight, 2005
Access Road, 2009
Short Fiction:
Landfall, 1955
A Glorious Morning, Comrade, 1975
Collected Stories, 1986
Nonfiction:
Creeks and Kitchens, 2003
Memory Pieces, 2018
Bibliography
Barrowman, Rachel. Maurice Gee: Life and Work. Victoria UP, 2015.
Gooch, Carly. “Maurice Gee Puts Personal Touch on Final Piece." Stuff, 14 Oct. 2018, www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/107764947/maurice-gee-puts-personal-touch-on-final-piece. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Hale, Elizabeth, editor. Maurice Gee: A Literary Companion—The Fiction for Young Readers. Otago, 2014.
“Maurice Gee: Writer.” The Arts Foundation, www.thearts.co.nz/artists/maurice-gee. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Smithies, Grant. “Maurice Gee, Master Storyteller.” Sunday Star Times, 10 Apr. 2009, www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/2926645/Maurice-Gee-master-storyteller. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.