Michael O'Leary
Dr. Michael O’Leary, born in Auckland in October, 1950 (the month of Our Lady & the year of the tiger), is a novelist, artist and publisher, (his Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop imprint has published over 250 titles of New Zealand literary works. His writing includes six novels, non-fiction work, a book of his art works & ten volumes of poetry, including Collected Poems: 1981-2016, (HeadworX). Apocrypha Scripta is O'Leary's 50th publication. In the 1990s songs, using O'Leary's poetry, were recorded by Dunedin Irish band Blackthorn, CDs with Christchurch's Trevor Bycroft, in 2003 and 2014. Paekakariki musicians created CDs of his lyrics: Fences Fall, 2011, Livin’ ina Aucklan’, 2015, The Off-White Album, 2019. In 2002 O'Leary completed an M.A. on the subject of small press publication in New Zealand, later published as Alternative Small Press Publishing in NZ – 1969 to 1999. In 2011 he was awarded a Phd. for his work on women writers in New Zealand covering the period 1945 to 1970. This was published as Wednesday’s Women in 2012. Several of his titles are now available in both digital & print on demand - see books2read website above.
Genre:
Skills:
- Academic
- Adult Fiction
- Autobiography / Memoir
- History
- Poetry
Branch:
Wellington
Location:
Paekakariki
Publications:
Apocrypha Scripta
During the writing of his autobiography, Die Bibel (published in 2016 by Steele/Roberts), Michael O'Leary began a parallel fictional autobiography which he conceived as an 'apocrypha' of additional aspects to his intellectual & emotional life, combining myriad intertwingings of previous works to form a synthesis, a kind of Rainbows End of the Mind, as its characters & events ride a rollercoaster of the psyche, a tipi haere helter-skelter on what might be called the Stratosfear or WindstarZ encompassing a spiritual weltanschauung of history & life. It reads not unlike the earliest Dadaist writings & therefore has the sub-title: a Surrealist Novel. Perhaps it’s about dislocation in society: perhaps it isn’t. Maybe it’s about a suburban man becoming unsettled in real life & entering the 'other' world of the imagination: maybe it isn’t. Apocrypha Scripta is about identity & belonging. It looks at the Sixties generation of 'peace & love' & anti-materialism which morphed & degenerated into the ‘I, me, mine’ of the reforms (a much abused and maligned word) of the mid-eighties & nineties which created the 21st Century Schizoid Person, fuelled by technology & greed, love & dreams, war & peace, culminating in the 'stop the world, I wanna get off' motif, as the earth cries from Cloud 9: wiith 2020 Vision & Reality of Covid-19 & the 'Existential Crisis' of realising that we need to not want so much, as well as finally understanding that the word 'Existential' might really have a meaning. Amen.
Michael O'Leary's publications
PUBLISHED WORK by Michael O’Leary to 2025
FICTION
2025 The Essential Michael O'Leary (prose from 1975 to 2025 - short stories plus excerpts from each of O'Leary's six novels)
2020 Apocrypha Scripta
2009 Magic Alex’s Revenge E.S.A.W.
2007 Straight – Novel (new edition) (illustrated by Greg O’Brien) E.S.A.W.
2002 Unlevel Crossings Novel published by Huia Publications
(illustrated by Greg O’Brien)
2002 Te Moemoea o Te Rau Tau Children’s Story - School Journal
1999 Its All in the mind You Know (illustrated by Alan Harold)
1997-1999 Gradual publication of chapters as ‘Work in Progress” of novel Unlevel Crossings - Original Books
1997 Noa / Nothing I Stories & poems - Original Books
1991 The Irish Annals of New Zealand Historical Novel (adapted for the theatre by Simon O’Connor and performed in Wellington in 2001)
1988 Hala e kolo ni mo ha lanu Story for children translated into Tongan by Kahoa Corbett, illustrated by Lena Patience - E.S.A.W.
1987 Out of It Novel (illustrated by Greg O’Brien) - E.S.A.W.
1984 Straight Novel (illustrated by Greg O’Brien) - E.S.A.W.
POETRY AND SONGS
2025 T.A.B. Ula Rasa Collected poems Vols. 1 & 2 - updated E.S.A.W.
2019 The Off-White Album CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2017 Collected Poems: 1981-2016 (edited by Mark Pirie) - HeadworX
2015 Main Trunk Lines poems related to NZ Railways - HeadworX
2015 Livin’ ina Aucklan’ CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2014 A Small Flicker of Flame CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2013 Paneta Street CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2011 Fences Fall CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2009 G’Day Country Redux (with David McGill) Silver Owl Press
2008 Paneta Street Poetry - HeadworX
2007 Sounds of Sonnets (with Mark Pirie) - HeadworX
2005 Make Love and War Poetry - HeadworX
2004 Doomsblay tribute:James Joyce on 100th anniversary of Bloomsday
2003 Toku Tinihanga CD, poems set to music – E.S.A.W. sounds
2002 Toku Tinihanga (selected poems: 1982-2002) - HeadworX
2001 T.A.B. Ula Rasa Poetry - Original Books
1999 Ka Atu I Koopua Poetry - Original Books
1998 Shake Speer’s Faith and other poems - Original Books
1997 Con Art Poetry - Original Books
1995 Twilight City Just Like a Bird, Potatoes, Fish and Children, Southerners Crossing: 4 songs by Blackthorn – E.S.A.W. sounds
1989 Livin’ ina Aucklan’ Poetry, illustrated by John Pule - E.S.A.W.
1987 Before and After Poetry and Prose - E.S.A.W.
1984 Undiscovered Voyage Poetry (with Litia Alaelua)
1983 10 Sonnets - Myths and Legends of Love Poetry – Martian Way
1981 Surrogate Children Poetry - E.S.A.W.
1980 Flip Side to the Ballad of John and Yoko poetry broadsheet
NON FICTION
2024 A Different Hat: Some non-fiction Writings
2024 Paekakariki: an appreciation
2019 Paekakariki School
2018 The Streets of Paekakariki PSPT
2017 Kapiti Transport History PSPT
2017 Paekakariki Railway Station PSPT
2016 Die Bibel: autobiography Steele Roberts Publishers
2014 Paekakariki: a Short History PSPT
2012 Artist a book of some of my art works E.S.A.W.
2012 Wednesday’s Women Silver Owl Press
2009 The Earl is in … Celebration of 25 years of the Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, edited by Mark Pirie E.S.A.W.
2008 Alternative Small Press Publishing in NZ – 1969 to 1999 Steele Roberts Publishers
2004 Central Cluster Claims: the Upper Whanganui Iwi District C.F.R.T.
2003 Ngā Take Motuhake a Rangitāne C.F.R.T.
1996 History of the National Bank, Te Aro Branch E.S.A.W.
1985 Gone West History of Wakamete Cemetery, Auckland A.C.C.
1984 Grafton Cemetery History Auckland A.C.C.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/WRITING
Michael O'Leary's work has appeared in the following publications:
Anthology of Māori and Pacific Island Writing (Ed. by Gadd)
Art New Zealand
Ava Gardner – touch of Venus (literary tributes to the actress from Robert Graves + others)
Bookmarks: an anthology
Boomer
Ché in Verse (international publication to celebrate Ché Guevara’s 40th anniversary – includes Neruda, Ginsberg, Yeteshenko among others, plus Bernard Gadd and Mark Pirie NZ).
Craccum
Critic
ESAW Christmas Surprise
Jaam
JAFA
Manukau in Poetry
Mauri Ola
Metro Magazine
Other Voices 2
Pilgrims
Poetry NZ
Poetrymath
Poetrywall
Rambling jack 2 and 3
Samoan Observer
Saoirse
Snafu
Spirit of Kapiti
Sunday Star Times, NZ Listener (Book Reviewer) *
Tango
Te Ao Marama (ed. Witi Ihimaera)
The Mahones
The Manuka Tree
The White Album Readings
Tiger Words
Tupelo Hotel
Voyager (Anthology of NZ Science fiction poetry)
Whetu Moana (ed. by Albert Wendt et al)
As An Editor . . .
1992 WRAPPER Anthology of NZ Literature,
2002 TIGER WORDS, Paekakariki Poets.
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GREATEST HITS (with Mark Pirie) an anthology of NZ writing, 1984 to 2004
As An Artist . . .
2011 ‘The Dark Lords of Pukerua’ – a painting of Te Rauparaha and poet Alistair Te Ariki Campbell in a celebration of Alistair’s life and work held at Pataka Gallery, Porirua.
2004-2009 Illustrations for ‘Winter Readings’ poetry anthologies.
2002 ‘A Helen Clark Retrospective’ at One Eye Gallery, Paekakariki.
1994 Collaboration show with Christchurch Artist, Wayne Seyb – toured Dunedin, Timaru, Gore, Wellington, Paekakariki.
1991 ONE-MAN Show at Blue Angel Gallery, Auckland
As A Publisher . . .
1984-2025: Through O'Leary's imprint Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop (E.S.A.W.) he has published works by Aotearoa New Zealand writers, including Greg O’Brien, Elizabeth Smither, Peter Olds, David Eggleton, Mark Pirie, Hone Tuwhare, and many others. See The Earl is in ... the history of O’Leary’s publishing to 2009 with contributions by many of those published by ESAW over the period.
Apocrypha Scripta Is the 200th publication by the Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop. It is also Michael O'Leary's 50th publication or artistic/music presentation of his work: fearful symmetry indeed!!!