AWRF - Honoured NZ Writer - Maurice Gee

The final event of the 2012 AWRF was the naming of Maurice Gee as the inaugural Auckland Writers and Readers Festival Honoree.

Maurice was on stage with his long-time publisher Geoff Walker and the hour long conversation between them was one of the highlights of the Festival.
The conversation ranged across Maurice's writing life, the influence of his mother- the strongest influence on him of anyone in his life, growing up in Henderson, the influence of Ben Hart who introduced him to Dickens, his many novels for both adults and children, his fictional character George Plumb based on his grandfather Chapple, his final book Access Road and his autobiography presently being written by Rachel Barrowman.
This was Maurice's first appearance at a literary festival in 10 years and will almost certainly be his last so the large crowd were delighted to hear him speak and to do two readings, one from Prowlers, the novel he regards as his best, and one from an unpublished memoir about his teenage reading that ranged from Zane Grey to Charles Dickens.
Maurice Gee is widely recognised one of New Zealand's true literary giants and when the session came to an end he received a standing ovation from the delighted audience.
Footnote:
It was great to see Maurice Gee's long-time literary agent Ray Richards among the audience. Also noticed his biographer Rachel Barrowman. She would have been pleased with Maurice's remarks about her ability as a biographer.

And - Report on event in New Zealand Herald Monday 14 May.

Maurice Gee's publishing list - ex Wikipedia

• The Big Season. London: Hutchinson, 1962. London: Arrow, 1964. Wellington: Allen & Unwin, 1985.^[6]
• A Special Flower. London: Hutchinson, 1965.
• In My Father's Den. London: Faber, 1972. Auckland: Oxford UP, 1978.
• A Glorious Morning, Comrade. Auckland: Auckland UP and Oxford UP, 1975.
• Games of Choice. London: Faber, 1976. Auckland: Oxford UP, 1978.
• Under the Mountain. Wellington: Oxford UP, 1979.^[6]
• The World Around the Corner. Wellington: Oxford UP, 1980.
• Plumb. London: Faber, 1981.^[6]
• Meg. London: Faber, 1981. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1982. Auckland: Penguin.^[6]
• The Halfmen of O. Auckland: Oxford UP, 1982. Harmondsworth: Puffin, 1986.
• Sole Survivor. London: Faber, 1983. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1983. Auckland: Penguin, 1983.^[6]
• The Priests of Ferris. Auckland: Oxford UP, 1984.
• Motherstone. Auckland: Oxford UP, 1985.
• The Fire-Raiser. Auckland: Puffin, 1986.
• Collected Stories. Auckland: Penguin, 1986. 
• Prowlers.  New York: Penguin, 1987. London , Faber, 1987.
• The Champion. Auckland : Puffin, 1989; New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
• The Burning Boy. London : Faber, 1990, 1992; Auckland : Viking, 1990.
• Going West. Auckland : Viking, 1992; London: Faber, 1992; Auckland: Penguin, 2000.
• Crime Story.Auckland : Penguin Books, 1994; Auckland: Viking, 1994; London: Faber, 1995.
• The Fat Man. Auckland : Viking, 1995; Auckland: Puffin, 2000.
• Plumb Trilogy. Auckland: Penguin, 1995.
• Loving Ways. Auckland : Penguin, 1996.
• Live Bodies. Auckland : Penguin, 1998; London: Faber, 1998; Scheuring: Black Ink, 2002 (German edition).
• Orchard Street. Auckland : Viking, 1998.
• Hostel Girl. Auckland : Puffin, 1999.
• Ellie and the Shadow Man. Auckland: Penguin, 2001.
• The Scournful Moon. Auckland: Penguin, 2003.
• Blindsight. Auckland: Penguin, 2005
• Salt. Auckland: Puffin, 2007
• Gool. Auckland: Puffin, 2008
• Access Road. Auckland: Penguin, 2009
• The Limping Man. Auckland: Puffin, 2010