1. Sir James Henry Peter McNeish was a New Zealand novelist, playwright and biographer.
11 Facts About James McNeish
1. 2.
James McNeish travelled the world as a young man, working as a deckhand on a Norwegian freighter in 1958, and recording folk music in 21 countries.
3.
James McNeish worked in the Theatre Workshop in London with Joan Littlewood, and was influenced by her spirit of socially-committed drama.
4.
James McNeish worked as a freelance programme and documentary maker for the BBC Radio's Features Department in the 1960s.
5.
James McNeish spent three years in Sicily with Danilo Dolci, the non-violent anti-Mafia reformer, and wrote Fire under the Ashes a biographical account of Dolci's life which is remarkable for its objectivity and clarity.
6.
James McNeish's writing has been the subject of critical acclaim both at home and abroad.
7.
James McNeish was described as "prolific" by the Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature.
8.
In 2010, James McNeish was honoured with the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Non-Fiction.
9.
James McNeish lived in Wellington, New Zealand, with his wife Helen, Lady James McNeish.
10.
James McNeish has one son Mark and one daughter, Kathryn.
11.
James McNeish died on 11 November 2016, aged 85, several days after submitting his final manuscript, Breaking Ranks, to HarperCollins for publication in April 2017.