William Pember Reeves (947 words)

William Pember Reeves (1857-1932) was an important figure in late nineteenth-century New Zealand, both for his skills as an author and in his primary occupation as a politician. One of the first New Zealand writers to actually have been born in the colony, Reeves joined the ranks of a group of “native born” artists and writers who attempted to create a local culture that was both an extension of, but also distinct from, England. In later years he returned to England and became involved in the Fabian society, pressing for gradual increases in socialist reform.

Reeves was born to William Reeves and Ellen Pember at the port of Lyttelton, Christchurch, in 1857, only three weeks after his parents arrived in the colony. After being e…

Smithies, James. "William Pember Reeves". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 April 2006
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3736, accessed 22 October 2016.]