Elsie Locke, 1912–2001

Authors

  • Philip Steer

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/knznq.v7i1.781

Abstract

Elsie Locke was widely known as a peace activist and historian but she was also a groundbreaking and successful author of children’s literature. Her literary reputation rests primarily on her historical novels set in New Zealand’s colonial past, many of which have been reprinted. Attending university during the Depression, she associated with many of New Zealand’s emerging literary figures. She also became a socialist because of her experiences and observations of poverty at this time, and her many social histories reflect this lifelong conviction. The realisation that she was largely ignorant of Maori history led her to study the Maori language, and to incorporate a Maori perspective into her writing. She received several awards in her later life for her children’s literature.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Philip Steer

Downloads

Published

2007-06-08