Dr Brian Turner, of Oturehua, ONZM for services to literature and poetry
Dr Brian Turner writes poetry, non-fiction books, television scripts, articles and columns, and has received many of New Zealand’s top awards in literature. He has written biographies on Sir Colin Meads, Anton Oliver, Glenn Turner and Josh Kronfeld. He has published thirteen collections of poetry, most recently ‘Selected Poems’. His poetry often focuses on Central Otago landscapes and environmentalism. He was a founding member and subsequently Chairman of the Central Otago Environmental Society. His best-selling books ‘Into the Wider World’ and ‘Elemental’ focused on an appreciation and concern for New Zealand’s natural environment. He received the University of Otago Robert Burns Fellowship in 1984 and was Te Mata Estate New Zealand Poet Laureate from 2003 to 2005. Dr Turner was awarded a University of Otago Honorary Doctorate in 2011.