New Zealand Writers
Oxford University Press
The New Zealand Book Council wishes to acknowledge the valuable contribution of Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand to the 'Writer Files' section of this site.
At the heart of the New Zealand Writer Files section are 150 author entries reprinted from the Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, (Ed. Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie). Oxford University Press’s Australia and New Zealand academic publisher, Peter Rose, predicts that the site will be ‘a popular and innovative resource’ offering ‘benefits to publishers and authors.’ By making available these entries (in excess of 150,000 words) OUP’s intention is to underline its commitment to New Zealand Literature.
Recent New Zealand publications from OUPANZ include: 
These texts are available for purchase on-line at nzbooks.com
The History of Oxford University Press in New Zealand
from The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature Entry written by Roger Robinson
Oxford University Press began its commitment to New Zealand literature by publishing the early *anthology of poetry, The Oxford Book of Australasian Verse, chosen by Walter Murdoch, in 1918. This joined a distinguished series begun by Arthur Quiller-Couch’s Oxford Book of English Verse in 1900. The history of a Press under direct University of Oxford control goes back to at least 1690, the first ‘Printer to the University’ having been appointed in 1584. In literature, the ‘Oxford Books of Verse’ and other anthologies, ‘Oxford Standard Authors’ and ‘World’s Classics’ series have done much to preserve and develop literary traditions. The pioneering Oxford Companion to English Literature (1932) was compiled by Paul Hervey, who happily received a knighthood. It remained the basis for the most recent editions (1985, 1995) edited by Margaret Drabble, and was the prototype for the series.
A New Zealand connection with OUP, especially in the fields of literature and lexicography, goes back to the group of literary and language scholars of New Zealand origin associated with the Press in the mid-twentieth century. Medievalist Kenneth Sisam, as Secretary to the Delegates, was responsible for the appointments of John *Mulgan and Dan *Davin; the latter became a key figure in the Press’s post-war publishing of literature and works relating to its study, and was host to an informal New Zealand literary centre in Oxford.
Another connection in the 1940s–50s was OUP’s best-selling girls’ school stories of Clare *Mallory (New Zealander and Oxford graduate Winifred Hall). Davin was then responsible for OUP’s first significant adult publications in New Zealand literature since 1918, his Katherine Mansfield: Selected Stories (1953), and New Zealand Short Stories, in collaboration with Eric *McCormick and Frank *Sargeson (1953). Both were in the pleasingly pocket-sized ‘World’s Classics’ series, as was New Zealand Short Stories: Second Series, chosen by C.K. *Stead (1964).
OUP began to publish occasional books in New Zealand from the 1960s. The separate New Zealand publishing operation began fully in the 1970s, though the management relationship with Australia has varied. Writers employed by the Press in New Zealand have included Brian *Turner, its founder-editor, and Anne *French. An alliance with *Auckland University Press became the basis of some prestigious publishing of local literature in the 1970s–80s, with Fleur *Adcock, James K. *Baxter, Lauris *Edmond, Maurice *Gee, Vincent *O’Sullivan and many more on OUP’s list. Major volumes in that period included the Baxter Collected Poems (1980) and Selected Poems (1982), both edited by John *Weir, and The Stories of Katherine Mansfield, ed. Antony *Alpers (1984). The Oxford tradition in literary anthologies has been sustained, with volumes such as An Anthology of Twentieth Century New Zealand Poetry (1970, 1976) and The Oxford Book of New Zealand Short Stories (1992), both edited by O’Sullivan, and An Anthology of New Zealand Poetry in English, ed. Jenny *Bornholdt, Gregory *O’Brien and Mark *Williams (1997). Criticism and biography have been served by the *‘New Zealand Writers and Their Work’ series, Frank *McKay’s Life of James K. Baxter (1990) and others. The ‘New Zealand Classic’ series reprinted novels by authors such as Gee, Marilyn *Duckworth and Joy *Cowley. OUP’s children’s list (under Wendy Harrex’s editorship) was also significant, including Cowley, Gee, Gavin *Bishop, Tessa *Duder, Jack *Lasenby, Elsie *Locke, Caroline *Macdonald and others.
The parent publisher in Britain continues to publish books of New Zealand importance, such as the Collected Letters of Katherine Mansfield, ed. O’Sullivan and Margaret Scott (1982– ) and Keith *Ovenden’s A Fighting Withdrawal: The Life of Dan Davin (1996).
Two books of major importance to New Zealand literature have been published in the 1990s: the *Oxford History of New Zealand Literature, ed. Terry *Sturm (1991, 1998) and the Dictionary of New Zealand English, ed. Harry *Orsman (1997).
