James Norcliffe
Well known as a poet, James Norcliffe has also written extensively for young people. Fifteen novels to date for both younger and older readers and a collection of poems with writing prompts for school children. His twelfth poetry collection, his selected poems, A Day Like No Other has just been launched.
His most recent novels for young people are Mallory, Mallory or the Revenge of the Tooth Fairy (2020) and its successor Mallory, Mallory: Trick or Treat published 2021, both with illustrations by Emily Walker. A novel for older readers The Crate and his first adult novel The Frog Prince came out in 2022.
James has been awarded a number of writing fellowships and residencies including, among others, the Burns Fellowship, the Iowa International Writing programme, The University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence, and the Randell Cottage Writer in Residence. He has read his work all over New Zealand and at festivals and occasions overseas: in the UK, the USA, Colombia, Canada, and Australia.
In 2022, James was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for literary achievement in poetry, and in 2023, he was awarded the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal — New Zealand’s most prestigious award in the field of writing, illustrating and publishing for young people.
Beyond reading and writing – and family of course – James’s great love is gardening and the environment. He has lived with his wife Joan Melvyn at Church Bay, in Lyttelton Harbour, near Christchurch, NZ.
https://flashfrontier.com/celebrating-james-norcliffes-selected-poems/