James Francis Courage (9 February 1903–5 October 1963) was a New Zealand novelist, short-story writer, poet and bookseller. He was born in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9 February 1903.[1]
James Courage
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| Born | (1903-02-09)9 February 1903 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 5 October 1963(1963-10-05) (aged 60) London, England |
| Resting place | Waipara River, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genre | Novels, Short Stories, Plays |
Courage was born to Frank Hubert Courage and Zoë Frances Peache. He grew up near Kōwai/Amberley, New Zealand on a farm.[1]
He attended Christ's College from 1916-1921. It was during his time there that he started writing. He later carried out his tertiary studies at St John's College, University of Oxford in 1923.[1]
In 1927, Courage relocated to London.[2] He briefly worked as a journalist, served as a Fire Warden during World War II, and worked in a bookshop between 1940 and 1950. He was made the store manager in 1946.[3]
Courage was a prominent writer. His rural New Zealand upbringing served as a setting for five of his eight novels.[1] Some of his works were subject to censorship at the time of publication due to their depictions of romantic relationships between men. In particular, his novel A way of love (1959) was banned in New Zealand at the time due to its homosexual content.[1]
Courage was a recipient of the Hubert Church Memorial Prize.[4] He was also the inspiration for P.E.N's 'Courage Day' which raised awareness to the persecution of writers.[5]
Novels[1]
Short Stories[1]
Plays[1]
Much of Courage's life was documented in a series of diaries dated from 1920-1963.[6] He wrote about his relationships as well as his experiences during the World War II bombings of London.[7] In discussing his motivations, Courage told his diary: "Why do I go on writing? One reason is that I believe I’ve written about people in Canterbury as it has never been done before – just as Turgenev wrote about certain people in Russian provincial society as it had not been done before."[8]
Courage lived in England for most of his life, though had a 17 month stint in New Zealand following a tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Norfolk from 1931-1933.[9] He was also known to suffer from depression, and received treatment at various points in his life.[1]
Courage was gay, and recorded his relationships with various men in his diaries. He noted one particular relationship with a man named Frank, who he briefly lived with in Argentina.[7] He also maintained friendships with other prominent New Zealand writers such as Frank Sargeson and D'Arcy Cresswell.[3]
Courage died in Hampstead on 5 October 1963. He requested to have his ashes scattered on the Waipara River in New Zealand, near where he grew up.[1]
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