Bruce Stewart (born 1936) is a New Zealand-born fiction writer and dramatist of Ngāti RaukawaTe Arawa descent. Stewart's work is marked by expressions of the anger, confused loyalties and spiritual aspiration of late-twentieth-century Māori. Recently, Stewart has written a poem to express his concern for the future of Te Raekaihau Point, Wellington, New Zealand.
He did a variety of odd jobs before moving to Australia.
In 1956 to moved to England, where he began writing TV scripts, notably Shadow of a Pale Horse, which was filmed for British, American and Australian TV. So too was The Devil Makes Sunday.
In 1974 he wrote the prison story 'Broken Arse' which he turned into a playscript.
He has lived mainly in Wellington, where he successfully set up the first work trust and founded Tapu Te Ranga Marae at Island Bay, creating a centre for debate and education in Māori culture and protocol and for the redevelopment of native bush. He was president of Nga Puna Waihanga (Maori Writers and Artists Society) in 1982.
Published and televised
Broken Arse was published in Into the World of Light (1982) and Stewart later rewrote it as a playscript, which was performed in Wellington in 1990, televised and published by Victoria University Press in 1991. In that dramatic form, the strength of the rebellious prisoners stomping and chanting in unison became even more powerful as haka.
Style
The writing frequently moves outside conventional narrative prose and is particularly strong in the oral dimension.
' Broken Arse on at Depot'. Evening Post. p.24; 26 Feb 1990.
Autobiographical.
'Ko wai ahau?' Mana : the Maori news magazine for all New Zealanders. 1:94–95; Jan/Feb 1993.
Interview with Stewart, Neville Glasgow, Directions (1995).
Related Published Material
McLauchlan, Gordon. 'A new beginning for Maori writing?' Auckland Metro 10:21; April 1982.
Galloway, Penny. 'Waitangi writings.' Listener 120(2502):8; 6 Feb 1988. Includes comment on Stewart.
McNaughton, Iona. 'Tales of an angry young Maori.' Dominion p.10; 27 May 1989.
O'Hare, N. 'Faith and work.' Listener 125(2594) Sup.p.85-87; 20 Nov 1989. Interview.
Lucas, J. 'Stewart's marae threatened.' Evening Post p.1,3; 25 May 1991.
Wevers, Lydia. 'Short fiction by Maori writers.' Commonwealth : Essays and Studies 16(2):26–33; Spring, ::1994. Includes comment on Bruce Stewart.
Donaldson, Lana Simmons. 'Willing to conform only to nature.' Kia Hiwa Ra : National Maori Newspaper 58:8, 24; Nov 1997. Profile.
Heim, Otto. Writing Along Broken Lines: Violence and Ethnicity in Contemporary Maori Fiction. Auckland: ::Auckland University Press, 1998.
Collins, Heeni. 'Heroes on the hill.' Evening Post p.13 25 Sep 1999. Discusses statue erected by Stewart ::on Tawatawa Ridge, Island Bay, of Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata.