Loved writer, friend, husband of author and former judge, Rose Riddell and beloved father, Mike Riddell died unexpectedly on Saturday 26th March aged 69. Mike Riddell will be remembered for the quality and extent of his writing and for his passionate and egalitarian commitment to fostering creativity and justice for all New Zealanders. The author of twelve published books, he was also the writer and co-producer of films and play. He completed a Doctorate on the writings of NZ poet James K. Baxter, and lectured at the University of Otago. In 2002, he wrote and produced a play, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, about James K. Baxter, which became a sell-out success and toured NZ, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cheltenham. In 2003 he was approached by a UK producer to develop an adaptation of his novel The Insatiable Moon. In the interim he produced the short film Cake Tin, and set up Screen Dunedin. Mike also originated and managed the first 48Hours film competition in Dunedin. In 2009 he co-produced the feature film The Insatiable Moon, based on his own book, which starred Rawiri Paratene and which won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the 2011 NZ Film Awards after six nominations.
Since 2003, Mike was involved solely in full-time screenwriting, and in 2012 was awarded a NZFC Talent Award. He worked for many years with producer Tim Sanders on the full-length movie script for The Guinea Pig Club, about Archibald McIndoe, the Kiwi plastic surgeon in WW2. The film was finally due to start filming later this year.
Mike’s work is backed by his commitment to not only writing about issues but also doing something to alleviate them. For seven years Mike was Minister of a church in Ponsonby, (he has a Masters in Theology) where he established the Community of Refuge Trust, a community housing organisation still in existence 34 years later and providing housing for over 500 people.
His novel The Insatiable Moon was inspired by the people he met during his time as Minister, especially those facing homelessness. Mike famously stripped to his boxer shorts at a council meeting in an attempt to stall the sale of council housing.
Not long after Mike and his family moved to the small village of Oturehua in Central Otago, he offered his experience to set up and help run the Under Rough Ridge Writers Retreat. He set up the website, gained all the funding, and kept in communication with the writers who came from all over NZ to attend retreats – the fourth one running this year. He kept extending the vision and now we have a fully funded writer’s residence for 3 months in our village, starting this winter.
For over twenty years Mike’s writing has entwined with his leadership to work for writers and for those who need our stories. We’ll remember him for his resounding laugh, his kindness, his generosity, his passion and his activism. Vale, Mike.
