Maurice Gee

Maurice Gee ( born August 22, 1931 in Whakatane ) is a New Zealand writer who is best known for his novels, which have won numerous awards. Several of his books were also made ​​into a film.

Life

Much of his childhood was spent Gee in the New Zealand town of Henderson, which appears in fictionalized form in many of his works. In 1954, he completed a degree in English Literature in Auckland and worked as a teacher in Paeroa. End of the 50s he published his first short stories. In 1961 he was awarded a literature scholarship and moved to England, where he continued teaching and writing. His debut novel, The Big Season appeared in 1962.

The breakthrough came with the publication of his trilogy Gee Plumb (1978), Meg (1981) and Sole Survivor (1983 ), which portrays the lives of three generations of New Zealand. Plumb 1979 Goodman Fielder Wattie honored with the Book Award. In the same year Gee began with the publication of children's books.

More prices he won with the novels Live Bodies (Deutz Medal for Fiction, 1998) and Under the Mountain ( Gaelyn Gordon Award, 2004). The Scornful Moon came in 2004 on the shortlist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize. He was honored by the Children's Literature Foundation for his contributions to literature in 2002; In 2004 he received the Literature Award from the New Zealand Prime Minister.

2004 were also filmed two of Gees novels: Crime Story (as Fracture ) and In My Father 's Den ( Brad McGann of ). Under the Mountain was filmed in 1982 as an eight-part television series and 2009 for the cinema.

Work

Maurice Gee writes both adult literature and children 's books. Already his first novel in 1962 in New Zealand sparked a strong response from the press. Most of his novels are set in New Zealand. Recurring motifs are family conflicts, and conflicts between different layers of society dominated by Puritanism. Frequent Handlungsort are New Zealand small towns. Critics praise especially the balanced portrayal of the characters and conflicts.

Gees Children and Youth books are often located in the field of fantasy and science fiction.

Bibliography

  • The Big Game, 1962.
  • A Special Flower, 1965.
  • In My Father 's Den, 1972.
  • A Glorious Morning, Comrade, 1975.
  • Games of Choice, 1976.
  • Under the Mountain, 1979.
  • The World Around the Corner, 1980.
  • Plumb, 1981.
  • Meg, 1981.
  • The Halfmen of O, 1982.
  • Sole Survivor, 1983.
  • The Priests of Ferris., 1984.
  • Mother Stone, 1985.
  • The Fire - Raiser, 1986.
  • Collected Stories, 1986.
  • Prowlers. , 1987.
  • The Champion, 1989.
  • The Burning Boy, 1990.
  • Going West, 1992.
  • Crime Story, 1994.
  • The Fat Man, 1995.
  • Plumb Trilogy, 1995.
  • Loving Ways, 1996.
  • Live Bodies, 1998 German: Living freight, Black Ink, Scheuring 2002 ISBN 3-930654-14-8
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