James Norcliffe was born in Greymouth and first went to school there at Omoto - although that school is now
no more. His family moved to Christchurch when James was quite young and apart from periods when James lived in China (late 1980’s) and Borneo (in Brunei Darussalam in the 1990s) he has lived in or near Christchurch ever since. Today with his wife Joan Melvyn, they live at Church Bay, Lyttelton Harbour. Their children, Tom and Elizabeth, have grown up and left home.
While James has always been a teacher, he had many years as a writer and editor. James published a collection of short stories The Chinese Interpreter, six collections of poetry, and eight novels for young people most recently the The Assassin of Gleam, The Loblolly Boy and its sequel The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer, and The Enchanted Flute. He has a long involvement with Takahe magazine and also with the Christchurch School for Young Writers. James edited anthologies of poetry and, with Alan Bunn and now with Tessa Duder, the annual Re-Draft anthologies of writing by young people. James is a poetry editor for the Christchurch Press and also teach's in Lincoln University’s Foundation Studies department.
James is a daydreamer and a fantasist. He believe's both his stories for young people and his poetry spring primarily from the imagination, from rubbing incongruities together and stretching possibility. As a child he loved fantasy – stories of wonder – and he also loved the intricacies of plot. When James began to write, he wanted to write the kind of stories he would have enjoyed when he was young and playful. And James still loves to play: playing with words, playing with situation. He has never really grown up.
Beyond reading and writing – and family of course – James' great love is gardening and the environment. He has a huge passion for trees if not to the point of hugging them, then at least to patting them affectionately on the leaves. James is also an addict of cryptic crosswords.
Selected bibliography:
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Under the Rotunda (Hazard Press 1992).
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Penguin Bay (Hazard Press 1993).
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The Emerald Encyclopedia (Hazard Press 1994).
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The Carousel Experiment (Hazard Press 1995).
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Re-Draft 2 edited with Alan Bunn (Clerestory Press/ School For Young Writers 2002).
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Re-Draft 3 edited with Alan Bunn (Clerestory Press/ School For Young Writers 2003).
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The Fun House Mirror with Alan Bunn & Marissa Johnpillai (Clerestory Press 2003).
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Re-Draft 4 edited with Alan Bunn (Clerestory Press / School for Young Writers 2004).
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The Assassin of Gleam (Hazard Press 2005).
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Cupid on a Friday Night - Re-Draft 5 edited with Alan Bunn (Clerestory Press / School for Young Writers 2005).
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Tennis with Raw Eggs - Re-Draft 6 edited with Alan Bunn (Clerestory Press / School for Young Writers 2006).
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The Polar Bear Ward - Re-Draft 7 edited with Tessa Duder (Clerestory Press / School for Young Writers 2007).
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D.I.Y Graffiti - Re-Draft 8 edited with Tessa Duder (Clerestory Press / School for Young Writers 2008).
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Fishing for Birds– Re-Draft 9 edited with Tessa Duder (Clerestory Press/ School For Young Writers 2009).
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The Loblolly Boy (Longacre Press 2009).
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The Steepest Street in the World - Re-Draft 10 edited with Tessa Duder (Clerestory Press/ School For Young Writers 2010).
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The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer (Longacre Press / Random House 2011).
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The Enchanted Flute (Longacre Press / Random House 2012).
Awards:
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NZ Children's Writers' Bursary 1990
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Aim Children’s Book Awards Honour Award forThe Emerald Encyclopedia 1995.
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Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council Major Children's Writing Bursary 1992.
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Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago 1999.
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Christchurch Press Literary Liaisons Honour Award 2003.
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Residency Award, Island of Residencies Program, Tasmanian Writers’ Centre 2005
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Creative New Zealand Iowa Fellowship, University of Iowa, USA 2006
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Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2007 Best Novel winner for The Assassin of Gleam.
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Visiting Artist at Massey University, Turitea Campus 2008.
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New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2010 Junior Fiction Winner for The Loblolly Boy.
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Storylines Notable Books 2010 Junior Fiction list for The Loblolly Boy.
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Ester Glen Award 2010 Shortlist for The Loblolly Boy.
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Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2010 Shortlist for The Loblolly Boy.
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USBBY Outstanding International Book List 2011 for The Boy Who Could Fly (The Loblolly Boy).
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Otago University Teachers’ College Children’s Writer’s Fellowship 2012.
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Storylines Notable Books 2012 Junior Fiction list for The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer.
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New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2012 Junior Fiction list for The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer.
Website
James Norcliffe
Storylines thanks zeald.com for their ongoing support of the Storylines website.
