Michael Gifkins (1945-2014)

Born in Wellington, Michael Gifkins was educated at the University of Auckland, where he also later taught English. As an agent he represented a number of leading writers, including Lloyd Jones and Greg McGee. He was also a literary critic, a publishing consultant, an anthologist and a highly esteemed editor, whose sympathetic hand and brilliant eye influenced many prominent New Zealand authors. He was also a fine writer and his stories were widely published. He was the author of three published short story collections: After the Revolution, Summer Is the Côte d’Azur and The Amphibians. He was the Writer in Residence at the University of Auckland in 1983 and was the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Fellow in Menton, France, in 1985. Michael Gifkins was a member of New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) from 1982 to 2014.