Dan Davin
Encyclopedia
Daniel Marcus Davin (1 September 1913 – 28 September 1990) was an author who wrote about New Zealand
, although for most of his career he lived in Oxford
, England
, working for Oxford University Press
.
He was born in Southland, New Zealand, into an Irish Catholic family in (largely Scottish Presbyterian) Invercargill
, and was educated at local Catholic primary and secondary schools. He won a scholarship for a final school year at Sacred Heart College
in Auckland, then a university scholarship to the University of Otago
. In 1934 he received First Class Honours in English, and in 1935 a Dip. MA Single Honours in Latin. Two of his novels, Cliffs of Fall (1945) and Not Here, Not Now (1970), are set in Otago University, although Bertram says they are "among his least satisfactory works".
Winning a Rhodes Scholarship
in 1935, he studied at Balliol College Oxford (BA, 1st class 1939, MA 1945). He served as an intelligence officer in the New Zealand Division in the Middle East in World War II, being evacuated from Greece and wounded on Crete. He was mentioned in despatches three times and awarded an MBE (Mil.). Writing the official war history Crete took most of his spare time from 1946 to 1953.
He worked for Clarendon Press, Oxford (England), 1945–78, then as Assistant Secretary to the Delegates of Oxford University Press 1948–70, and Deputy Secretary to the Delegates 1970–78. He was a fellow of Balliol College 1920–78, then an emeritus fellow. He died in Oxford, where he had been "a heroic drinker in the college buttery and a chosen string of Oxford pubs" (Bertram).
Post-war he took part in a BBC Radio discussion on the Battle of Monte Cassino
with the former German commander Frido von Senger
, who had also been a Rhodes Scholar, and Desmond (Paddy) Costello, who like Davin had been in Freyberg’s intelligence team.
The themes of his earliest fiction, in short stories that include Saturday Night, Late Snow, The Apostate, The Basket, The Vigil, and The Milk Round, were growing up in the poor Irish Catholic family of Mick Connolly in Southland. Subsequently he wrote of "New Zealanders at war, post-war tensions, exile and return".
In 1939 he married Winifred Gonley, also from Southland, and they had three daughters. Dan and Winifred co-authored a publication for schools by the Department of Education School Publications Branch, Writing in New Zealand: The New Zealand Novel (1956, Parts 1 & 2). They were friends with Joyce Cary
.
In 1987 he was awarded the OBE, and in 1984 a D.Litt. from Otago University.
He also wrote collections of short stories and non-fiction books, including:
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...
, although for most of his career he lived in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, working for Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
.
He was born in Southland, New Zealand, into an Irish Catholic family in (largely Scottish Presbyterian) Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
, and was educated at local Catholic primary and secondary schools. He won a scholarship for a final school year at Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Sacred Heart College is a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a Catholic, Marist College set on of land overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Glen Innes.- History :The college was opened in 1903 in Ponsonby, by the Marist Brothers...
in Auckland, then a university scholarship to the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. In 1934 he received First Class Honours in English, and in 1935 a Dip. MA Single Honours in Latin. Two of his novels, Cliffs of Fall (1945) and Not Here, Not Now (1970), are set in Otago University, although Bertram says they are "among his least satisfactory works".
Winning a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1935, he studied at Balliol College Oxford (BA, 1st class 1939, MA 1945). He served as an intelligence officer in the New Zealand Division in the Middle East in World War II, being evacuated from Greece and wounded on Crete. He was mentioned in despatches three times and awarded an MBE (Mil.). Writing the official war history Crete took most of his spare time from 1946 to 1953.
He worked for Clarendon Press, Oxford (England), 1945–78, then as Assistant Secretary to the Delegates of Oxford University Press 1948–70, and Deputy Secretary to the Delegates 1970–78. He was a fellow of Balliol College 1920–78, then an emeritus fellow. He died in Oxford, where he had been "a heroic drinker in the college buttery and a chosen string of Oxford pubs" (Bertram).
Post-war he took part in a BBC Radio discussion on the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
with the former German commander Frido von Senger
Frido von Senger
Fridolin Rudolf Theodor von Senger und Etterlin was a German general during World War II.-Biography:...
, who had also been a Rhodes Scholar, and Desmond (Paddy) Costello, who like Davin had been in Freyberg’s intelligence team.
The themes of his earliest fiction, in short stories that include Saturday Night, Late Snow, The Apostate, The Basket, The Vigil, and The Milk Round, were growing up in the poor Irish Catholic family of Mick Connolly in Southland. Subsequently he wrote of "New Zealanders at war, post-war tensions, exile and return".
In 1939 he married Winifred Gonley, also from Southland, and they had three daughters. Dan and Winifred co-authored a publication for schools by the Department of Education School Publications Branch, Writing in New Zealand: The New Zealand Novel (1956, Parts 1 & 2). They were friends with Joyce Cary
Joyce Cary
Joyce Cary was an Anglo-Irish novelist and artist.-Youth and education:...
.
In 1987 he was awarded the OBE, and in 1984 a D.Litt. from Otago University.
Books
His works of fiction are:- Cliffs of Fall (1945)
- For the Rest of Our Lives (1947)
- The Gorse Blooms Pale (1947, short stories)
- Roads from Home (1949)
- The Sullen Bell (1956)
- No Remittance (1959)
- Not Here, Not Now (1970)
- Brides of Price (1972)
- Breathing Spaces (1975, short stories)
He also wrote collections of short stories and non-fiction books, including:
- Crete (1953) The Official New Zealand War History
- Closing Times, his literary memoirs (1975, Oxford University Press)