Beverley Dunlop

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Beverley Dunlop
Born
Beverley Frances Gorbin

(1935-08-25)25 August 1935
Tākaka, New Zealand
Died18 October 2023(2023-10-18) (aged 88)
Hastings , New Zealand
Occupations
  • Children's author
  • short story writer
Spouse
John Archibald Dunlop
​
​
(m. 1960; died 2013)​

Beverley Frances Dunlop (née Gorbin; 25 August 1935 – 18 October 2023) was a New Zealand children's author and short story writer. She published numerous short stories in journals and magazines and four novels for children.

Early life and career[edit]

Beverley Frances Gorbin was born in Tākaka on 25 August 1935.[1][2] She moved to Napier at the time of her marriage to John Archibald Dunlop in 1960.[1][3] She started writing for children while working as a legal secretary and music tutor.[4] Her early work, from 1975 onwards, was published in magazines and literary journals including the New Zealand School Journal and in Landfall.[1][4][5] In 1981 one of her stories was included in All The Dangerous Animals are in Zoos, an anthology of New Zealand short stories selected by John Barnett.[6]

Novels[edit]

In 1981 Dunlop won the Choysa Bursary for Children's Writers, a $5,000 award from the New Zealand Literary Fund enabling a children's writer to work on a specific project.[1][7][8][9] At that time her first novel for children, The Dolphin Boy (1982), was with her publisher Hodder & Stoughton, and she was able to use the bursary to work on her second novel.[7]

The Dolphin Boy is aimed at ages eight to twelve and tells the story of two children who meet a mysterious boy able to communicate with dolphins.[1][10] It is illustrated by Sandra Morris.[1] The novel was a bestseller,[11] and a review in The Press said it was "well written with an exciting storyline, plenty of mystery and danger, and with underlying themes that should lead the young reader to think seriously about the relationship between humans and the animal world".[10]

Her second novel, The Poetry Girl (1983), is about a young and lonely country girl of Russian heritage (like Dunlop herself) growing up in the 1940s who finds comfort in memorising poetry.[1][11] Her third novel, Earthquake Town (1984), was illustrated by Garry Meeson and based on the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.[1][4] A reviewer in The Press was critical of the novel's realistic depiction of the disaster, suggesting it "is not a book I would give to any child I wanted to sleep well".[12] Her fourth and final novel, Spirits of the Lake (1988), was about a young boy saving his mother and grandmother from ancient spirits, and was described by The Press as "different, thrilling, scary and thought provoking".[13][14]

Other work and later life[edit]

Dunlop was co-writer with Kay Mooney of Hawke's Bay: Profile of a Province (1986).[1] A collection of her short stories for children was published as Queen Cat and Other Stories in 1988, illustrated by Deirdre Gardiner. The stories were described by The Press as having "a distinctly New Zealand flavour" and as appealing "to the target age group of six to nine-year-olds".[8]

In 1999 she began writing stories about her cat Ollie and publishing them online on a newsgroup website. Ollie disappeared in August 2001; at the time Dunlop had written nearly 90 stories.[15][16]

Dunlop died in Hastings on 18 October 2023, at the age of 88.[17] Her husband John predeceased her in August 2013.[18]

Selected works[edit]

  • The Dolphin Boy, illustrated by Sandra Morris (Hodder & Stoughton, 1982)
  • The Poetry Girl (Hodder & Stoughton, 1983)
  • Earthquake Town, illustrated by Garry Meeson (Hodder & Stoughton, 1984)
  • Hawke's Bay: Profile of a Province, with Kay Mooney (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986)
  • Spirits of the Lake (Hodder & Stoughton, 1988)
  • Queen Cat and Other Stories, illustrated by Deirdre Gardiner (Hodder & Stoughton, 1988)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hebley, Diane (2006). "Dunlop, Beverley". In Robinson, Roger; Wattie, Nelson (eds.). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195583489.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-1917-3519-6. OCLC 865265749. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Interview with Beverley Dunlop". Christchurch City Libraries. 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Napier weddings". Hawke's Bay Photo News (22): 48. September 1960. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Marquis, Claudia (2006). "Dunlop, Beverley". In Zipes, Jack (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195307429. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Writers and their audiences". The Press. 13 August 1977. p. 17. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  6. ^ Huston, Patrick (9 May 1981). "Emancipating language and message". The Press. p. 17. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Writer wins $5000". The Press. 21 November 1981. p. 14. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b Forrester, Kay (19 November 1988). "Cats in their kingdoms". The Press. p. 27. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Writers' bursary rises". The Press. 2 December 1986. p. 22. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b Quigley, Margaret (24 December 1982). "Trust among dolphins". The Press. p. 19. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b Prout, Diane (3 March 1984). "Escape into poetry". The Press. p. 18. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  12. ^ Brooke, Agnes-Mary (13 April 1985). "Over-realistic earthquake". The Press. p. 20. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  13. ^ Williams, Fiona (22 August 1989). "Book Reviews". The Press. p. 18. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  14. ^ McAllister, Ken (17 December 1988). "Adventures in Aotearoa". The Press. p. 23. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Disappearing internet cat stirs worldwide concern". Hawke's Bay Today. 15 August 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Disappearance of internet cat upsets fans". The Hawke's Bay Today. 14 August 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Beverley DUNLOP Obituary". Hawke's Bay Today. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  18. ^ "John Archibald Dunlop". Dunstalls Funeral Services. Retrieved 30 October 2023.

External links[edit]

  • "Lucky", children's story by Dunlop
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