New Zealand Writers
BUNN, Alan
A South Island writer who is as enthusiastic about teaching as he is writing
BUNN, Alan (1944 -) writes fiction for young adults. Bunn describes his novels as "dealing with teenagers and issues concerning them…They aim to encourage teenagers to read and to recognise how interesting life in New Zealand can be."
Bunn was born in England and immigrated to New Zealand in 1953. He grew up in the South Island, moving between Otago, Southland and Christchurch, with two years spent in Napier.
Bunn trained as a teacher and has taught English and Drama, as well as Writing. Recently Bunn left formal teaching but continues to teach writing at the Christchurch School for Young Writers, as well as giving workshops throughout the South Island.
Bunn’s publications include the novels Water in the Blood (1990), Driving Force (1991) and Road Warriors (1993). His short stories have appeared in the anthologies Zig-Zag (1993), Nearly Seventeen (1993) and the First Time (1996). He edited Re-Draft 2001: An Anthology of New Teenage Writing in New Zealand (2001) and Re-Draft 2002.
When not travelling Bunn lives in Christchurch and is at work on a play.
(L.K.)
Updated Information
Eyes in the Shadow (2003) is a thriller that looks at bullying in all its forms. Mark is a photographer and Nicole is a part-time model who doesn't want to be beautiful. When Mark photographs Nicole at the local pool, their worlds become precariously linked.
A Time to March (2003) is a play set in the not-too-distant future. The play explores a family's trauma when a young man drinks himself into a coma while his parents are away fighting for New Zealander's rights of access to mountains and waterways.
Re-Draft 3 (Clerestory Press, 2003) edited by Alan Bunn and James Norcliffe (Christchurch School for Young Writers). From laugh-out-loud funny to sweetly tender, from the mischievous to the downright shocking, Re-Draft 3 showcases the very best of New Zealand writers under the age of 20.
the fun-house mirror: ten years of Write On, selected by Alan Bunn, Marissa Johnpillai and James Norcliffe (Clerestory Press, 2003). Write On is a publishing phenomenon and after ten years it is still going strong, one of the longest-lived vehicles for children's writing that New Zealand has ever known.
Please note, Bunn is no longer available for school visits under the Writers in Schools programme, due to an increasingly busy schedule.
KAPAIKIDS AUTHOR PICTURES AND INFORMATION
Some Questions for Alan Bunn
Where do you live?
A seaside suburb of Sumner in Christchurch.
What sorts of books do you like to read?
Teenage fiction, adult fiction, non-fiction especially biographies.
Do you have a favourite author?
No one special at the moment, it used to be George Bernard Shaw and J.R.R. Tolkien.
How do you think up your ideas?
By doing things – kayaking, mountain climbing, horse riding, teaching and producing plays all help provide ideas. Also by talking to people and reading.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Enjoying the lusciousness of words and seeing my writing come alive after re-drafting.
Some Questions for Primary School Students
Do you have any pets?
None, but I often look after the neighbour’s cat.
Do you have a favourite colour?
Turquoise.
Do you have a favourite food?
Duck with orange sauce.
Do you have a favourite movie?
Zefferelli’s Romeo and Juliet.
Do you play and games or sports?
Fencing - if I’m involved! Cards.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Throwing ideas around with other people and inventing things.
How do you makes books?
I think and think. Then I plan and plan. Then I start working, redrafting as I go. Then I go back and add, cut and always make changes. Then I show the book to others for their feedback.
Where do you like to go for your holidays?
Wanaka mostly.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
I raided an orchard and got caught by the police up a tree pretending to be a pear.
Some Questions for Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
A book rep was saying she was looking for New Zealand books. I said I was thinking of writing one. She told me to do it and not just think about it -so I did.
Did anyone inspire you when you were getting started?
Elsie Locke, Margaret Mahy, and Maurice Gee.
What advice would you give an aspiring writer?
Live a full life, both mental and physical. Train your memory and/or keep good notes.
Is it difficult to make a living as a writer in New Zealand?
Yes.
What were you like as a teenager?
Hard-working and responsible, but I liked dances and taking out girls. My family tells me I was hard to live with, but I don’t believe them.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
I always liked doing adventurous things. Once, when running away from a ghostly figure in a deserted mansion in England, my brother got a hive of bees up his trousers.
I once ran the Marathon in reverse, from Athens to Marathon by myself – I was 39.
At the age of 57, I started learning to ride a horse. When I was younger I fell off a donkey, a cart horse and a Shetland pony.
In 2002, my wife and I travelled around the South Island in our camper van gathering material for a web site called ‘Day Out’. We found that our country is even more beautiful and fascinating than we thought.
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