Bruce Stewart

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Bruce Stewart is a writer born in New Zealand. (1936– ), of Ngati Raukawa, Te Arawa, Stewart is a fiction writer and dramatist who has expressed the anger, confused loyalties and spiritual aspiration of late-twentieth-century Maori. Recently, Stewart has written a poem to express his concern for the future of Te Raekaihau Point, Wellington, New Zealand.

Contents

[edit] Biographical information

Bruce travelled with his wife and young family from their home in New Zealand to the UK in the 1960s, where he continued to find work as an actor but also became a prolific script writer writing over a 100 TV scripts, and co-writing the 1970 children's sci-fi series, Timeslip.

[edit] Background

Stewart was born in Hamilton, and grew up in the Wairarapa and was educated at Wairarapa College. He has lived mainly in Wellington, where he successfully set up the first work trust and founded Tapu Te Ranga Marae at Island Bay, creating a centre for debate and education in Maori culture and protocol and for the redevelopment of native bush. He was president of Nga Puna Waihanga (Maori Writers and Artists Society) in 1982.

[edit] Published and Televised

Broken Arse was published in Into the World of Light (1982) and Stewart later rewrote it as a playscript, which was performed in Wellington in 1990, televised and published by Victoria University Press in 1991. In that dramatic form, the strength of the rebellious prisoners stomping and chanting in unison became even more powerful as haka.

[edit] Style

The writing frequently moves outside conventional narrative prose and is particularly strong in the oral dimension.

[edit] Marae

Tapu Te Ranga Marae is located in Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand.

Looking across Taputeranga toward Te Waipounamu
Looking across Taputeranga toward Te Waipounamu

[edit] Poetry

On a clear winters day to the East there is often a sprinkling of fresh snow on the Orongorongo...
to the south in the foreground, Tapu Te Ranga Motu and far far beyond The White peaks of rise out of the horizon…
Every now and again it all comes together…
extreme beauty...
ahhh it is indeed absolute beauty beyond words…
if only I were a painter...
it is so close to get so far…
I go there often to refuel the soul…
these days as I can no longer fish and dive or even walk…
I wind down the window so I can hear and smell and feel this special place where surf, sand, seagulls, and the sky play together.
I let the healing winds of Te Rae Kaihau wash over me…
sometimes I snooze…
it is my outdoor Cathedral.
Te Waipounamu Mountains
Te Waipounamu Mountains

Written by Bruce Stewart about Te Raekaihau Point.

[edit] Books

  • Tama, and Other Stories. Auckland : Penguin, 1989.

Reviewed by;

Eggleton, David. Evening Post p.31; 27 May 1989.
Mackrell, Brian. New Zealand Wildlife 11(88):32; Spring 1989.
King, Michael. Metro 9(96):184-186; June 1989.
Taylor, Apirana. Dominion Sunday Times p.17; 4 June 1989.
Duggan, Sally. NZ Herald 2:6; 19 Aug 1989.
Faith, Rangi. Listener 124(2572):71; 24 June 1989.Z
McEldowney, W.J.. Otago Daily Times p.24; 5 July 1989.


  • Broken Arse. Wellington : Victoria University Press, 1991.

Reviewed by;

Dale, Judith. New Zealand Books 1(4):8; March 1992.
Cooke, Patricia. Dominion Sunday Times p.20; 29 Sept 1991.

[edit] Performance

Reviews of performance at Depot Theatre

Evening Post p.24; 26 Feb 1990.
Budd, Susan. Dominion p.11; 6 Mar 1990.
Cooke, Patricia. Dominion Sunday Times p.18; 11 Mar 1990.
Welch, Denis. Listener 128(2634):108; 10 Sept 1990.

[edit] Review

  • The author discusses his play;
' Broken Arse on at Depot'. Evening Post. p.24; 26 Feb 1990.
  • Autobiographical.
'Ko wai ahau?' Mana : the Maori news magazine for all New Zealanders. 1:94-95; Jan/Feb 1993.
Interview with Stewart, Neville Glasgow, Directions (1995).

[edit] Related Published Material

McLauchlan, Gordon. 'A new beginning for Maori writing?' Auckland Metro 10:21; April 1982.
Galloway, Penny. 'Waitangi writings.' Listener 120(2502):8; 6 Feb 1988. Includes comment on Stewart.
McNaughton, Iona. 'Tales of an angry young Maori.' Dominion p.10; 27 May 1989.
O'Hare, N. 'Faith and work.' Listener 125(2594) Sup.p.85-87; 20 Nov 1989. Interview.
Lucas, J. 'Stewart's marae threatened.' Evening Post p.1,3; 25 May 1991.
Wevers, Lydia. 'Short fiction by Maori writers.' Commonwealth : Essays and Studies 16(2):26-33; Spring, ::1994. Includes comment on Bruce Stewart.
Donaldson, Lana Simmons. 'Willing to conform only to nature.' Kia Hiwa Ra : National Maori Newspaper 58:8, 24; Nov 1997. Profile.
Heim, Otto. Writing Along Broken Lines: Violence and Ethnicity in Contemporary Maori Fiction. Auckland: ::Auckland University Press, 1998.
Collins, Heeni. 'Heroes on the hill.' Evening Post p.13 25 Sept 1999. Discusses statue erected by Stewart ::on Tawatawa Ridge, Island Bay, of Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata.

[edit] See also

[edit] External references

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