Peter Wells (director)

Peter Wells

MNZM
Peter Wells
Wells in 2013
BornPeter Northe Wells
(1950-02-08)8 February 1950
Died (aged 69)
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
Notable awardsMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit
SpouseDouglas Llyod Jenkins
Website
www.peterwellsblog.com

Peter Northe Wells MNZM (8 February 1950 – 18 February 2019) was a New Zealand writer and filmmaker and historian. He was born in Auckland. His best known work was Desperate Remedies (1993). Wells' 2003 novel Iridescence was a runner up in the fiction category of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards and a finalist in the 2005 Tasmania Pacific Fiction Prize.

In 2006, Wells was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He was openly gay.

Personal life

Wells, who was gay, was married to the writer Douglas Lloyd Jenkins. Wells died from prostate cancer at Mercy Hospice under hospice care in Auckland on 18 February 2019, aged 69.

Works

Bibliography

  • Dangerous Desires. Reed Books. 1991. ISBN 9780790002415. OCLC 939604844.
    • Short story collection. Won 1992 NZ Book Award for Fiction and 1992 PEN (NZ) Best First Book in Prose Award.
    • The feature film Memory and Desire (1997) directed by Niki Caro, was based on Wells' short story "Of Memory and Desire" in this collection.
  • The Duration of a Kiss. Secker & Warburg. 1994. ISBN 9780790003580. OCLC 939607402.
  • Boy Overboard. Vintage. 1997. ISBN 9781869413194. OCLC 38048570.
  • One of them!. Vintage. 1997. ISBN 9781869413354. OCLC 38587195.
  • Best Mates: Gay Writing in Aotearoa New Zealand (1997) Edited by Peter Wells and Rex Pilgrim. Auckland: Reed
  • Frock Attack! Wig Wars!: Strategic Camp in Desperate Remedies (1997) Auckland: Centre for Film, Television and Media Studies, University of Auckland
  • Long Loop Home: a memoir (2001) Auckland: Vintage. Won the Biography Category of the 2002 Montana NZ Book Awards
  • Iridescence (2003) Auckland: Vintage. Runner-up for the 2004 Deutz Medal for Fiction and shortlisted for the Tasmania Pacific Fiction Prize 2005
  • On Going to the Movies (2005) Series editor Lloyd Jones. Wellington: Four Winds Press
  • The Cat's Whiskers: New Zealand Writers on Cats (2005) Edited by Peter Wells. Auckland: Vintage
  • Lucky Bastard (2007) Auckland: Random House
  • The Hungry Heart (2012) Auckland: Random House
  • Little Joker Sings (2013) Auckland: Random House
  • Journey to a Hanging (2014) Auckland: Random House
  • Dear Oliver: Uncovering a Pākehā History (2018) Massey University Press

Filmography and videography

  • Foolish Things (1980)
  • Little Queen (1984)
  • Jewel's Darl (1985)
  • My First Suit (1985)
  • Newest City on the Globe: Art Deco Napier (1985). Auckland: Moving Image Centre.
  • Newest City on the Globe (1985). Written and directed by Peter Wells. Produced and edited by Stewart Main. Auckland: TVNZ.
  • A Death in the Family. Film for television with Stewart Main.
  • Drama on Film. Wellington: New Zealand Film Commission.
  • The Mighty Civic (1988) Documentary co-directed by Wells and Stewart Main. Wellington: New Zealand Film Commission.
  • A Taste of Kiwi (1990)
  • Desperate Remedies (1993). Written by Wells and co-directed by Wells and Main. Isambard Productions.
  • Naughty Little Peeptoe, with Garth Maxwell.
  • One of Them Written by Wells and directed by Main.
  • Georgie Girl (2001)

References

  1. ↑ Herkt, David. "No more secrets: Peter Wells opens up about his sexuality and his uncertain future". Stuff. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 Chumko, Andre (18 February 2019). "Decorated Kiwi author, playwright and filmmaker Peter Wells MNZM dies". Stuff.co.nz. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  3. ↑ "Peter Wells, writer and filmmaker who gave literary voice to gay and lesbian New Zealanders, dies aged 69". TVNZ. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  4. ↑ "Award-winning writer, filmmaker Peter Wells dies". Radio NZ. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "Peter Wells". www.penguin.co.nz. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  6. ↑ Elley, Derek. "Memory & Desire". Variety. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  7. ↑ "Memory and Desire". NZ on Screen. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "Wells, Peter". New Zealand Book Council. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "Civic Theatre Foyer". teara.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatū Taonga. 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2019. In the 1980s Auckland's grand Civic Theatre was deteriorating and threatened with demolition. This inspired the local writer Peter Wells to make The mighty Civic, a film about its place in the city's cultural history, which captured the dream-like qualities of the theatre's spaces and helped to galvanise public support for its retention.[permanent dead link]
  10. ↑ Screen, NZ On. "One of Them! | Television | NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. ↑ "Peter Wells". NZ on Screen. Retrieved 19 February 2019.

Other websites