Maris O'Rourke

Dr Maris O’Rourke 

I am a walker and writer, a poet and peregrina. When I’m not hiking I like to have several writing projects on the go in various genres  

In 2021 The Peartree Press published 'Paradox' my 10th book and 2ndpoetry collection of 50 numbered limited edition, handmade letter-pressed books. A wonderful collaborative endeavour by well-known printer Tara McLeod accompanied by original art works by Paddy O’Rourke (500 Linocuts, woodcuts, cyanotypes, and photograms) his personal response to each poem.

I also did another three-way collaboration with Claudia Pond Eyley and Stephanie Huriana Fong to produce 'Birdsong/He Korihi' - a charming bilingual (Te Reo and English) bicultural 1-10 counting book for 0-10 year olds of native and introduced birds (David Ling Pub.)

I came to writing after a career in education, which included Secretary for Education in NZ and Director of Education at the World Bank, USA. I ‘reinvented myself’ and began writing following a life-changing course with writer Siobhan Harvey in 2010. Since then, I have been well placed in many competitions, published in a wide range of journals in NZ, UK, USA and Australia, featured in 20 plus anthologies and had 10 books published - six children’s (two in Te Reo), a family history, a memoir, and two poetry collections. 

Genre:

  • Autobiography / Memoir
  • Children's Fiction
  • E-Book
  • Flash Fiction
  • Poetry

Skills:

  • Academic Writing
  • Competition Judging
  • Mentoring
  • Poetry Readings
  • Public Speaking
  • Readings
  • Readings (adults)
  • Workshops (adults)
  • Workshops (children/schools)

Branch:

Auckland

Location:

Auckland

Publications:

Singing With Both Throats

Singing With Both Throats is the first poetry collection for Maris O’Rourke. The poetry is an analogy for the way O’Rourke lives her life; the many roles she plays, and has played; the wide range of work and activities she has been involved in and still participates in; the varied ‘voices’ she has used, and uses, in her political, professional, practical and personal life. Her poem Lifelines begins: ‘As I gaze into my life, a long trek through difficult and easy terrain, I see the maps I’ve made piled high as stones on cairns marking the best tracks through places I’ve been before.’ This theme is played out across three sections within the book: Passages, Parallels and Pathfinder. Depending on the mood and topic, traditional and modern forms have been used throughout the collection such as sonnet, villanelle, blank verse, list, prose, Fibonacci sequence and so on. .

Lillibutt's Big Adventure

Lillibutt lived in a pig-pen below the Pyrenees. Lillibutt was lonely. Lillibutt was bored. In this engaging and strikingly illustrated picture book, finally a young girl takes Lillibutt on the adventure of her life: a long pilgrimage on the Camino walkway from France to Spain.

Lillibutt's Te Araroa Adventure

Lillibutt is lonely so she sets off from Cape Reinga on a very long walk to visit her kunekune cousins at the Auckland Zoo. As she travels down the country on Te Araroa she meets others along the way and overcomes some scary challenges during her long adventure. A charming tale of perseverance that also gives the reader a look at the first stage of the Long Trail/Te Araroa, which runs the length of New Zealand for 3000km, and opened in 2011. http://www.teararoa.org.nz/welcome/

Lillibutt's Australian Adventure

Following a dream, Myilly takes her visitors, Lillibutt and Moana, on a long adventure from Kakadu to Uluru. As they travel overland they face many challenges and meet the local people - including jackaroos, the Flying Doctor and children on an outback cattle station. They also meet crocodiles, brolgas, dingos, feral camels, kangaroos and snakes.

Te Haerenga Maia a Riripata i Te Araroa

A beautiful translation by Ani Wainui of Lillibutt's Te Araroa Adventure.

Our Superbaby! Illustrated by Helen Bell

A lovely book highlighting the miracle of a baby and the growth of a toddler. Everyone will enjoy the fun interactions as they read along with mermaids and macaws, vultures and volcanoes, dragons and dolphins, ogres and eagles. Together exploring the magic of everyday events like eating and sleeping - and ordinary behaviours - like screaming and crying. As the last page of Our Superbaby! says 'when you smile chocolate melts - and so do we!

Zigzags and Leapfrogs: A Memoir

Born on a small island in Scotland to a local girl and an Australian serviceman, raised in a working class, dysfunctional, often violent, itinerant household around the UK and Europe, O'Rourke rose to become the Secretary for Education for New Zealand, the Director of Education at the World Bank, an International Education Consultant and an author of six books. It is a story of constant perseverance, reinvention and transformation as O'Rourke makes difficult choices and juggles her professional and personal responsibilities, especially mothering. The book outlines possibilities and ways of women living outside the conventions of what is usually expected by society, without stepping aside from acceptance, love and success. As a memoir it is composed of vignettes of her life, short stories, photographs, newspaper cuttings, interviews, graphic novel excerpts and poems which, together, create a fascinating interlay. The narrative takes the reader from the birth of her first grandchild, back into the past (beginning with her search for her whakapapa) and delving deeper into her early years through to her formative years. She then traverses the important influences, relationships, hard lessons learned and joyful experiences in her professional, physical, personal and political life - before returning full circle to the present, where the lessons she has learned are laid bare. Zigzags and Leapfrogs is a memoir of an unlikely life that embraces themes of persistence, luck, bravery, ambition, roaming, joy, disappointment and success.

Through My Eyes: looking at my 'family' - Lyons, Horner, Hackworth, Robertson, Broughton, O'Rourke and sundry others

A fascinating personal genealogical study/family history detailing the migration, emigration and immigration of six families who adventured to and from Ireland, Scotland, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Relevant family trees, photographs, newspaper cuttings, excerpts from history books and certificates are included. Websites used are cited. In the reference section 483 names are available with links to the text. Available as an e-book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Through-Eyes-Hackworth-Robertson-Broughton-ebook/dp/B075H54LLM

Paradox

In 2021 the Isthmus poets were thrilled to celebrate the launch of Maris O’Rourke’s 10th book and 2nd poetry collection Paradox (The Pear Tree Press, 2021). Paradox is a unique artefact of 10 poems, hand- made by outstanding letter-press artist and printer Tara McLeod in 50 limited-edition numbered copies. Each poem is accompanied by artist Paddy O’Rourke’s personal response of an original artwork – a photogram, cyanotype, linocut or woodcut. 

Birdsong-He Korihi

A threeway collaboration in 2021 between Maris O'Rourke, Stephanie Huriana Fong and Claudia Pond Eyley (illustrator) produced this delightful children's book in Maori and English. A charming bilingual, bicultural 1 to 10 counting book for 0-10 year olds it is beautifully illustrated with a mix of familiar native and introduced birds. The rhyming couplets in Te Reo and English introduce a range of interesting words and bird behaviours for readers and teachers.