Born in 1939 at Tauese Albert Wendt was brought up in a typical Samoan
environment in which the grandmother through her storytelling and singing
influences the way one sees the world. After primary schooling in Samoa, he
attended New Plymouth Boys High School, Ardmore
Teachers' College and Victoria University of Wellington, from which he has an MA
in history. He arrived in New Zealand for the first time in 1953
(leaving again in 1964) and returned permanently in 1988.
During his a distinguished academic career in Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand,he has
also found time to publish five novels, several collections of short
stories and poetry, articles on Pacific writing and art and has edited various
anthologies of Pacific writing.
Described as a teacher, poet, professor and novelist, Albert Wendt is one of the most gifted Samoans who has had significant influence on the outlook of most Samoans. Although Albert Wendt has paramount chiefly ancestry , he has in his own quiet way avoided the taking up of a matai title which he could access to in either Vaiala, Moataa, Malie, Sapapalii and Lefaga.
Albert Wendt has made his mark in the world literary circles through his books which include, Sons for the Return Home, Pouliuli, Leaves of the Banyan Tree, winner of the 1980 Watties Book of the Year, and Ola, winner of the S-E Asia and Pacific Section of the Commonwealth Book Prize 1991. His collections of poems include Inside Us the Dead, Shaman of Visions (AUP, 1984), Photographs (AUP) and The Book of the Black Star (AUP, 2002). He is one of 12 New Zealand poets featured reading from their published work on the audio CD Seeing Voices (AUP, 1999).
He has edited several anthologies, notably Nuanua: Pacific Writing in English Since 1980 (AUP, 1995) and Whetu Moana: Contemporary Polynesian Poetry in English (due from AUP 2002). He makes many appearances at writers' festivals and other literary and cultural events. He delivered the 2000 Book Council lecture, entitled "Le Vaipe: the Dead Water", at the NZ Festival 2000.
His research interests include new literatures in English, especially Maori
and Pacific fiction and poetry. He is currently working on a number of
projects in these areas.The New Zealand electronic poetry centre launched it
Albert Wendt web page at the same time as his new collectionž The Book of the
Black Star, see
www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz/authors/wendt