Bronwyn Elsmore | |
|---|---|
 Elsmore in 1989 | |
| Born | Wairoa, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Writer and senior lecturer |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington (PhD) |
| Thesis | According to the Scriptures: the influence of the publication of the Christian Scriptures in Maori on Maori religious movements (1986) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Religious studies |
| Institutions | Massey University (senior lecturer) |
| Website | Official website |
Bronwyn Margaret Elsmore is a New Zealand fiction and non-fiction writer and playwright. She was a senior lecturer in religion at Massey University from the late 1980s until 2005, and has written a number of works about religion in New Zealand.
Elsmore was born in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay. She has a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington.[1] She has worked as a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Radio New Zealand, and as a creative writing tutor.[1] From the late 1980s until 2005 she was a senior lecturer in religious studies at Massey University.[1][2]
She has written several non-fiction works about religion in New Zealand. Te Kohititanga Marama, about the prophet Te Matenga Tamati, was published in 1998; a review in The Southland Times described her as "one of the leading writers on Maori religion in New Zealand".[3] Creedism: Religious Prejudice in New Zealand (1995) examined "the extent and the scope of religious intolerance in this country".[4] Her work Like Them That Dream, about the impact of Christianity on early Maori society, was originally published in 1985 and republished in 2000 and 2011; the Waikato Times called it "a classic work in its own right".[5]
Elsmore's short stories have been published in literary journals and magazines such as The New Zealand Listener, and her plays have been aired on radio. She writes for both adults and children.[1] In 1997 she received an outstanding achievement award from the Playwrights Association of New Zealand (PANZ).[6] Her play Fallout: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior (about the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior) was performed at The Basement Theatre in Auckland in 2015, directed by Jennifer Ward-Lealand.[7] A review in The New Zealand Herald called it a "straight-talking, wonderfully-illustrated show", and "a hell of a tale for only $25".[8]
She has been a judge for the New Zealand Book Awards and other literary competitions. She has been a writer for Playmarket since 1978, a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) since 1984, and a member of PANZ since 1979.[1] In 2005 she participated in the Playmarket Auckland Playwrights Studio, and established the Auckland Playwrights Collective with other participants.[9]
Elsmore has received the following awards:[1]
Elsmore's published non-fiction books include:[1]
Elsmore's published fiction works include:[1]
Elsmore's plays for children and adults include:[1]
Other works include:[1]
