Bruce Grenville
Encyclopedia
Bruce Grenville is a New Zealand
anarchist, film buff and producer of artistamps.
In the 1970s and 1980s he gained notoriety for a hoax involving the fabrication of the Utopian Sultanate State of Oecussi-Ambeno, located as an exclave on the Island of Timor
, with himself as the self-proclaimed Sultan.
Grenville's artistamp
output encompasses an entire alternative universe of artistamp countries. These include the Sultanate of Oecussi-Ambeno, the Kingdom of all the Sedang (not to be confused with the historic Kingdom of Sedang
), the Sultanate of Upper Yafa
, the People's Republic of Kempland, the Free Vinland Republic, the Republic of Liegerland, the Republic of Port Maria, Tui Tui, Aldabra, Karenni, Raoul, the Land of Muggy, Cryonica, Aramoana, Whangamomona, Lar?, Nova Arcadia, the Antarctic Confederation and the Khanate of Bokhara. Grenville's artistamp world even has its own imaginary "United Nations
," the "International Council of Independent States" (ICIS). His creations are sometimes identified as micronation
s; however, being completely fictitious and without "participants", they do not fit the definition.
In January 1999, he came to notice for the discovery of a long missing
1965 original episode of the BBC
television series Doctor Who
, discovered in a garage sale in Napier
; the episode, "The Lion" (the first part of the serial The Crusade
) was subsequently released on VHS and later DVD.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
anarchist, film buff and producer of artistamps.
In the 1970s and 1980s he gained notoriety for a hoax involving the fabrication of the Utopian Sultanate State of Oecussi-Ambeno, located as an exclave on the Island of Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
, with himself as the self-proclaimed Sultan.
Grenville's artistamp
Artistamp
The term artistamp or artist's stamp refers to a postage stamp-like art form used to depict or commemorate any subject its creator chooses...
output encompasses an entire alternative universe of artistamp countries. These include the Sultanate of Oecussi-Ambeno, the Kingdom of all the Sedang (not to be confused with the historic Kingdom of Sedang
Kingdom of Sedang
The Kingdom of Sedang was an ephemeral political entity established in the latter part of the 19th century by a French adventurer Charles-Marie David de Mayréna in part of what is present-day Vietnam....
), the Sultanate of Upper Yafa
Upper Yafa
Upper Yafa, Upper Yafa'i , or the Sultanate of Upper Yafa , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. It was ruled by the Harharah dynasty and its capital was Mahjaba...
, the People's Republic of Kempland, the Free Vinland Republic, the Republic of Liegerland, the Republic of Port Maria, Tui Tui, Aldabra, Karenni, Raoul, the Land of Muggy, Cryonica, Aramoana, Whangamomona, Lar?, Nova Arcadia, the Antarctic Confederation and the Khanate of Bokhara. Grenville's artistamp world even has its own imaginary "United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
," the "International Council of Independent States" (ICIS). His creations are sometimes identified as micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
s; however, being completely fictitious and without "participants", they do not fit the definition.
In January 1999, he came to notice for the discovery of a long missing
Doctor Who missing episodes
The Doctor Who missing episodes are the instalments of the long-running British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who that have no known film or videotape copies. They were wiped by the BBC during the 1960s and 1970s for economic and space-saving reasons...
1965 original episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, discovered in a garage sale in Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
; the episode, "The Lion" (the first part of the serial The Crusade
The Crusade (Doctor Who)
The Crusade is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from March 27 to April 17, 1965. The story is set in Palestine, near Jerusalem, during the Third Crusade.-Plot:...
) was subsequently released on VHS and later DVD.