Biography
Campbell was born in Rarotonga and spent his childhood on Penrhyn island, the home of his mother, Teu Bosini. His father's name was Jock Campbell. In 1932, when Campbell was seven, his mother died from tuberculosis. The following year, his father also died and he was sent with his two brothers to an orphanage in Dunedin, on New Zealand's South Island.
He lived most of his life in New Zealand, mainly around the Wellington region, and for several decades in Pukerua Bay, Porirua.
Born Alistair Campbell, he later added 'Te Ariki' after going back to the Cook Islands and discovering his grandfather had ties to chiefdom. In his grandfather's honour, Campbell added Te Ariki (the chief) to his name. He attended Otago Boys' High School in Dunedin, and then studied at the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington. At University he became good friends with James K. Baxter, another famous New Zealand poet. He became a member of the Wellington Group in 1950s. The group was just an affiliation of a number of writers who mostly shared a common opposition to Allen Curnow's, another notable New Zealand writer, ideas and writings.
His first wife was poet, Fleur Adcock, from whom he was later divorced. His second wife, Aline Margaret (Meg) Anderson, was also a poet.
Alistair had a total of 5 children, two with Fleur and the other three with Meg.
From 1976 to 1979, he was the President of the New Zealand branch of PEN-International.
His poem, The Return, was set to electronic music by Douglas Lilburn.
Read more about this topic: Alistair Campbell (poet)
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