Matt Elliott – an award-winning and best-selling author of books for adults and children

*Proud to be a supporter of the New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust / Tiritiri Matangi Scenic Reserve / Surf Lifesaving NZ*

I was educated at Mt. Carmel primary school, Meadowbank, and then St. Peter’s College, Auckland. Alongside a brief, incomplete stint at university I pursued a career as a stand-up comedian beginning on the embryonic local scene in 1989. I moved to Melbourne in 1993 working the pro-circuit there – the first Kiwi comedian to do so – in the company of some great comedians, famous and non. Returning home 18 months later, and taking part in the first ever Auckland Comedy Festival in 1993, I continued performing around the country but with one eye on more serious writing. My history of New Zealand comedy followed along with writing film reviews for the marvellous but sadly short-lived Quote/Unquote magazine. In 1996 National Radio produced my children’s story Young Horace and Oscar’s Trick. Read by Ian Watkin, it continued to be broadcast for 20 years.
After a couple of years living in Ireland, I formulated and taught a Comedy Writing course in Christchurch which morphed into The Ministry of Chocolate Fisheries radio shows. Through the early 2000s I was based in Wellington performing in local venues and appearing in Fringe and Comedy festivals. For two years I had a weekly comedy show on Access Radio which made use of my large comedy album collection as well as interviewing visiting comedians and promoting local comedy. This also gave me the opportunity to write and produce several hour-long documentaries on the likes of Lenny Bruce and American Civil Rights comedy.
You can see me in several scenes of Peter Jackson’s King Kong (if you know where to look, freeze-frame and enlarge the bystanders) and I have appeared in TV shows such as New Zealand’s Top 100 History Makers, History Under the Hammer, Funny As and documentaries produced overseas on the life of Dave Gallaher.
Being made redundant during the GFC from a position as a legal researcher at a large New Zealand law firm, I took the leap into becoming a full-time author.

You can view my in-depth NZ On Screen interview for the ‘Funny As’ documentary series here

I contributed a chapter on NZ comedy to Glory Days: from gumboots to platforms by Ian Chapman/Dr. Glam. HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN: 9781869507282 and a page on growing hops for Steve Hale’s The Kiwi Man Cave Manual. David Bateman, 2016. ISBN: 9781869539528.

There is a profile of me (alongside some real fishermen!) for The Kiwi Fisherman’s Guide to Life by Mike Rendle and Ian Chapman. HarperCollins, 2012. ISBN: 9781869508975

I’ve reviewed books on Radio New Zealand, The Press newspaper (1997-2012) and North and South magazine (2010-Covid). Recent contributions to other periodicals include New Zealand Memories (#115, #119, #124, #127, #140), takahe poetry journal (#87), the Phantom Billstickers Poetry on the Streets project, New Zealand Rugby News (March 2020, Sept 2020), North and South (February 2021) and AudioCulture, ‘the noisy library of New Zealand music’: NZ musical comedy  Flight of the Conchords Fred Dagg  Billy T James Kids of 88

Author visits, festival appearances, talks etc: Sacred Heart College, Auckland; St. Peter’s College, Auckland; Kristin Middle School, Albany (2012, 2016, 2018); St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Pukekohe; Takapuna Scouts; Sancta Maria College, Botany; Birkenhead Public Library; Auckland Heritage Festival (2012, 2016, 2019); Gisborne Boys’ High School; Campion College, Gisborne; Ilminster Intermediate, Gisborne; Stanley Ave School, Te Aroha; Auckland Writers and Readers Festival Schools’ Programme, 2013; Birkenhead College (2010, 2018, 2019); 20th Australasian Humour Studies Network Colloquim (hosted by Victoria University), 2014; Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, 2014; Kelston Boys’ High School, Auckland; World War One Book Club, NZ Book Council event, Wellington; Speed Date an Author, NZ Book Council schools’ event, National Library, Auckland; Bookclub 119, Book Discussion Scheme; Silverdale Normal School, Hamilton (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019); MC, 2016 New Zealand Book Industry Awards; 2016 NZ Defence Force Rugby Tournament, Linton Army Camp; Glenfield Library Messines Centenary talk; Dom Polski, Auckland Polish Society; Polish Settlers Museum, Howick; East Coast Bays’ library Tea and Talks; Beach Haven Kindergarten; Verran Primary; Anzac Day service address, Birkenhead RSA, 2019; Windwhistle Ladies Dinner Group, Terrace Downs; Birkdale North Primary School Book Week; Belmont Intermediate #ForTheLoveofReading week; Knighton Normal Primary School, Hamilton; Marist Alternative Education prize-giving; Glenfield Library children’s holiday programme; Glenfield Library Tea and Topics; Birkenhead Heritage Society; Rangitoto College; North Shore Historical Society; Beach Haven Birkdale Residents Association history talk; Te Ara Whetū Kāhui Ako; Birkenhead Head Friends’ Group;

Kathrin Simon’s FADE. Photographic exhibition of historic Hokianga churches. TSB Wallace Arts Centre Pah Homestead, Auckland Art Week; No 1 Parnell gallery, Rawene; Whangarei Art Museum; Depot Artspace, Devonport. Also featured in Art New Zealand Number 160, Summer 2016-17.