Lawlor, Pat. - Material related to New Zealand literature and the book world.

Fonds

Identifier: lawp

Staff Only

Description of collection

The Pat Lawlor collection consists of published books, which can be found catalogued on Te Waharoa (Z992 L418), ephemera relating to books, writing and publishing in New Zealand, sample copies of 'The Artist's Annual', which he published, and correspondence with writers.

Dates

Creation: 1970s?

Access and use

Access is freely available within the J.C.Beaglehole Room for research and private study. For any use beyond this, please contact the J.C.Beaglehole Room (jcbeaglehole.room@vuw.ac.nz) in the first instance.

Biographical information

Born 1893 in Wellington; died 1979 in Auckland

Patrick Anthony (Pat) Lawlor was the son of David and Margaret Lawlor. His father was a stationer and bookseller. When Pat left school he took up a role as copyholder for the Evening Post, transferring to the Dominion as a junior reporter in 1913. He remained in journalism throughout his career, working in both New Zealand and Australia.

He was an enthusiastic collector of and writer about books and literary topics, sometimes using the pen-name Shibli Bagarag. Between 1926 and 1932 he edited and published The New Zealand Artist's Annual. He was involved in a number of book- and writing-related organisations and helped to found the Friends of the Turnbull Library.

He received an OBE in 1976. In 1977 he moved to Auckland to live with his daughter and was accorded a civic farewell by the mayor. Pat Lawlor Close, off Brougham Street in Mt Victoria, was named in his honour.

This information was drawn from his entry in Te Ara Biographies (https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4l6/lawlor-patrick-anthony), where there is a much fuller record of his life.