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Marlene J Bennetts

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(Redirected from Marlene Joan Bennetts) New Zealand writer (born 1938)

Marlene J BennettsMNZM
BornMarlene Joan Anderson
(1938-03-09) 9 March 1938 (age 86)
Westport, New Zealand
Occupations
  • Poet
  • children's author
Spouse Neville Bennetts ​(m. 1957)​
Children3

Marlene Joan Bennetts MNZM (née Anderson; born 9 March 1938) is a New Zealand poet and children's author.

Life and career

Bennetts was born in Westport on 9 March 1938. She is of Ngāti Awa and Te Āti Awa descent. As a child her family travelled frequently due to her father's work in sawmills, and she attended 15 different schools. In 1957 she married Neville (Hec) Bennetts; they have three children.

Her poetry has been published in various anthologies including Katherine Mansfield Centennial Issue (1998), Poetry Kanto (1989), Poets for Africa (1986), and The President's Awards for Literary Excellence (1995). In 1993 the British magazine Dandelion awarded her the Dolores Boccanera Poetry Prize for her poem "Needlepoint Love".

She has written a number of works for children, including eleven books which have been translated into te reo Māori and a collection of poetry, Caboodle (2005). She participates in Read NZ Te Pou Muramura's Writers in Schools programme.

In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bennetts was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to literature.

In 2022 Bennetts published her autobiography, Whakaaetanga/Acceptance. She donated 95% of the profits from the work to Hei Whakapiki Mauri, an organisation supporting Māori with disabilities.

Selected works

Poetry collections

  • Return to the Coast (Emjay Publishing, 1990)
  • Coastal Cornerstones (Emjay Publishing, 1991)
  • Beyond the Coast (Emjay Publishing, 2001)

Works for children

  • Caboodle, with Deborah Macowan (Emjay Publishing, 2005)
  • No Ordinary Flower Girl, illustrated by Trish Bowles (Reed Books, 2007)
  • One of the Dambusters, illustrated by Trish Bowles (Penguin Group, 2008)
  • A Statute of Honour, illustrated by Ann McCaw (Emjay Publishing, 2020)

Other works

  • Whakaaetanga/Acceptance (autobiography, Emjay Publishing, 2022)

References

  1. "Interview with Marlene Bennetts". Christchurch City Libraries. 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Marlene J Bennetts". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Marlene Joan Bennetts née Anderson". Komako. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Marlene J. Bennetts: A story of acceptance and overcoming". Hei Whakapiki Mauri. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. "Queen's Birthday honours list 2003". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 June 2003. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. "Books in brief". The Southland Times. 31 March 2007. p. 7. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. "Heartland feel to funny yarn". Hawkes Bay Today. 5 April 2008. p. S10. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. Anderson, Vicki (7 March 2020). "Southern Spotlight: Tanya Jenkins - environmental educator". Stuff. Retrieved 13 May 2024.

External links

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