New Zealand Writers
BILBROUGH, Norman
Writes with a concise narrative and tersely authentic dialogue that give credibility to the often painful subject matter.
Author entry from The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, edited by Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie (1998), pp. 56. Entry written by Roger Robinson [About the Companion entries]
BILBROUGH, Norman (1941– ), has published short stories widely for twenty years, winning the Sunday Star Times competition in 1995. A popular and frequent contributor to the NZ Listener and School Journal, especially, and to radio, he writes with a concise narrative and tersely authentic dialogue that give credibility to the often painful subject matter.
Michael Gifkins described the stories as ‘litanies of unrelieved angst’, while paying tribute to their honesty and imaginative grip ‘beyond the confines of the page’. At times this comes from a near-surrealist fusion of setting and metaphor: ‘At meals she would feel as wooden as the table. And the talk had the substance of wood’ (‘Loss’). A droll sense of humour is also distinctive. Owen Marshall admires the stories as ‘perceptive, understated, mined with wit and sub-text’.
Bilbrough has published two collections of stories, Man with Two Arms (1991) and Desert Shorts (1999). His young adult novel, The Birdman Hunts Alone was published in 1994 and his stories for children, Dog Breath and other stories came out in 1999.
The Birdman Hunts Alone was a finalist in the AIM Book Awards senior fiction category in 1995.
Born in Feilding, Bilbrough was educated in Wellington, where he still lives, having worked as a teacher, literary assessor and writer.
Updated Information
Dog Breath and other stories was a NZ Post Book Award finalist in 1999.
In 1999 Bilbrough was Writer in Residence at Canterbury University. He won the Sunday Star Times Short Story Award for a second time in 2000 with his story "Down at the Corner".
Bilbrough is also the winner of the New Zealand section of the 2000 international Pen competition. His story "Hello, Mr New Zealand" draws on his experiences in Vietnamese camps in Hong Kong in the 1980s.
In 2005 Bilbrough's first novel for adults, A Short History of Paradise was published by Penguin. It is set in a fictional commune in Marlborough in the late 70s and early 80s, and draws on his experiences of living in two communities.
Norman Bilbrough is available to talk to students from the age of eight upwards. He will discuss any writing topic with students, but especially likes to discuss the issues that occur in his stories. Norman would prefer to talk to classes of 30 students and he is able to run workshops. He is prepared to travel out of town for Writers in Schools visits.
KIDS AUTHORS PICTURES AND INFORMATION
Some Questions for Norman Bilbrough
Where do you live?
I live in Wilton, Wellington, just opposite the Otari bush reserve. Tuis wake me in the morning.
What sorts of books do you like to read?
Lots of teenage fiction and thrillers. But I’m getting interested in things like dinosaurs and UFOs. I always like love stories.
Do you have a favourite author?
Robert Cormier (probably), but it varies. I’ve always liked Gary Paulsen.
How do you think up your ideas?
I get a feeling. That’s where my ideas come from. A feeling grabs me, or an idea.
What is the best thing about being an author?
The best thing is not working in an office between 8 and 5. The worst thing is being poor.
Some Questions from Primary School Students
Do you have any pets?
None. Sorry, I’m in a pet-free zone. I do like dogs – if they don’t bark too much.
Do you have a favourite colour?
Blue
Do you have a favourite food?
New Zealand oranges and avocados
Do you have a favourite movie?
Back to the Future
Do you play any sports?
Walk, run and play sport in my head (used to play rugby)
What is the most fun thing about being an author?
Having feelings and ideas, and turning them into stories.
How do you make a book?
I don’t. That’s the publisher’s job.
Where do you like to go for your holidays?
Wherever there is hot weather and a warm sea for swimming.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
I won’t say.
Some Questions for Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
I couldn’t be a vet or a lawyer or an accountant – I didn’t want to be. But, I loved stories and reading. I started writing poetry when I was 18.
Who inspired you when you were getting started?
Poets
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
Read, write, read, write. Be prepared for loads of rejection slips – and keep writing.
Is it difficult to make a living as a writer in New Zealand?
Yes, but I’m lazy too.
What were you like as a teenager?
Lazy, quiet, watchful, and an observer – all good qualities for a writer.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
I got tossed by a bull when I was a young man (21). It threw me into the air. I landed with a thump. I managed to scramble over a fence, only to land in a pile of manure (muck). I wasn’t hurt – just bruised and shocked.
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