Ivan Bootham: Biography

IVAN BOOTHAM was born in England, and migrated to New Zealand as a teenager, his parents joining him later. He lived in provincial New Zealand - Invercargill, New Plymouth, Auckland, Levin, Lower Hutt - before settling in Wellington, where he now lives. He has worked as a book binding apprentice, farm labourer, shoe salesman, ticket writer/window dresser, radio copywriter, radio programme producer, publicity officer for the New Zealand Symphony orchestra, and in clerical, advisory, administrative and editorial jobs for various Government departments. He is married with twin daughters. Ivan Bootham's published work includes novellas, short stories, poetry, cartoons, and art criticism. He has had plays, documentaries, and short stories broadcast on radio. In 1973 he was awarded a NZ Literary Fund Writing Bursary. His first novel was placed second in the 1969 Rothman's Book of the Year Award, judged by Professor Joan Stevens. His second novel was commended in the 1971 City of Auckland Centennial Fiction contest. Included in his 1969 short story collection, Ivan Bootham Stories, published by Fracas is the story "A Change is as Good as a Rest", which was shortlisted for the 1989 Mobil/Dominion Sunday Times Short Story Award judged by Malcolm Bradbury. ". . . a very funny little novel," said the NZ Listener of Bootham's novella Quince.Noon when it was first published in the 1970s. Michael King in his Bookmarks column (NZ Listener, 4 October 1975) made reference to satirical literature and said that amongst "Recent good examples of the genre·[ was ]·Quince.Noon, a tale of an amiable Kiwi artist by Wellington novelist Ivan Bootham." In 2001 RiverStone Books republished a slightly revised Quince.Noon along with two more Bootham novellas as Quince.Noon - the Trilogy. Of his collection of stories The Book of Cheerful Despair, with their emphasis on art and artists, Listener columnist Lois Daish said, "I've very much enjoyed reading, smiling and puzzling over The Book of Cheerful Despair." Capital Times said,"Bootham has a black sense of humour . . . Reading The Book of Cheerful Despair is like listening to a conversation in which, with typical artistic indecision, conclusions are never reached." In 2003 Ivan Bootham's novel The Doctor Jesus Sanatorium was published by RiverStone Books. As a cartoonist his work has appeared in various magazines. Of his book of musical cartoons sff The Dominion said "If he (she's) musically inclined, then Ivan Bootham has just the right series of hilarious cartoons." Ivan Bootham is also a composer whose works includes two operas, a mass, and works for piano, voice and various musical ensembles. For more information about the literary works of Ivan Bootham, see Ivan Bootham: A Descriptive Bibliography by F. W. Neilsen Wright (second edition 1999). Published by Cultural and Political Booklets, PO Box 6637, Te Aro, New Zealand. For information on Ivan Bootham's music, visit http://www.geocities.com/ivanbootham/ Return to home page