Dr Thom Conroy staff profile picture

Contact details +6469517508

Dr Thom Conroy PhD

Senior Lecturer

Doctoral Supervisor
School of Humanities Media and Creative Comm

My research interest is writing fiction, including short stories and novels. In 2016 my contemporary novel The Salted Air was published wit Penguin Random House. 2014 my historical novel The Naturalist was published with Random House. The Naturalist chronicles the life of Ernst Dieffenbach, a political refugee, naturalist, and ethnologist who visited New Zealand in 1839 as part of the New Zealand Company’s land-purchasing expedition. Dieffenbach is credited with the first European ascent of Taranaki as well as the compilation of the first non-missionary Maori grammar and dictionary.

My fiction has been published in over 20 journals and magazines in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Please see the ‘Links’ section below for more on my research, including interviews, reviews, and writing samples.

 

Sometimes under the pen name Thomas Gough, my short fiction has appeared in various journals in the US and New Zealand, including Sport, Landfall, New England Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Kenyon Review. It has also been recognised by Best American Short Stories 2012 and has won various other awards, including the Katherine Ann Porter Prize in Fiction and the Sunday Star-Times Short Fiction Competition.  

 

I have experience supervising creative writing research projects at the honours through the PhD level. To date I’ve supervised nine Masters-level projects, including Masters of Creative Writing theses, such as Equal Others by Jillian Sullivan; Ganefs and Prophets, Philosophers and Fools by Cassy Green; and Cannibals and Survivors by Bonnie Etherington as well as traditional Masters of Arts projects including a creative component, such as Ralph Springett’s How Sure Are You about That?: Narratorial Uncertainty in Third Person Fiction. I am currently supervising a creative-critical PhD thesis by Rebecca Styles with a creative portion featuring a novel entitled Railway Hotel.

 

In 2014  I coordinated the first national conference devoted exclusively to teaching creative in New Zealand and I currently serve as the Director of the Aotearoa Creative Writing Research Network. I have editorial experience, most recently serving as a guest editor for Meniscus and Bravado literary journals. In 2013, I was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, which was based in part on my expertise in distance teaching.  

Thom Conroy is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing. His novel The Salted Air was published this year, and his first novel, The Naturalist, was published in 2014 (both with Penguin Random House). His short fiction has appeared in journals in New Zealand and abroad, including Landfall, Sport, New England Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Agni. His fiction has been recognised by Best American Short Stories 2012 and has won other awards, including the Katherine Ann Porter Prize in Fiction and the Sunday Star-Times Short Fiction Competition. In 2013 he received a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

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Professional

Contact details

  • Ph: 069517508
    Location: Room 4.56, Sir Geoffrey Peren Building
    Campus: Turitea

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy - Ohio University (2002)

Prizes and Awards

  • New Zealand Society of Authors Heritage Week Book Awards, Finalist, 2015 - New Zealand Soceity of Authors (2015)
  • Semi-Finalist for Iowa Short Fiction Prize (manuscript prize) - (2012)
  • My short story ‘The Evening’s Peace’ (NRO 2) was selected by series editor Heidi Pitlor from 4,000 publisher-submitted short fiction entries to Best American Short Stories 2011. My story was chosen to be among 80 included as ‘Distinguished Stories of 2010’. - (2011)
  • 2010 Academic of the Year - (2010)
  • The Nimrod Hardman Katherine Ann Porter Prize for Fiction recognizes outstanding international fiction. My prize-winning story, "Idleness, Justice, Kingship, Love" was chosen from 652 short story entries. From: Nimrod Literary Journal - (2005)
  • My short-story manuscript, "All Us Lovers," was nominated as a finalist in the Spokane Prize in Fiction for 2004. Winners in the Spokane Prize for fiction receive $1,500 and publication of their manuscript. From: Eastern Washington University Press - (2004)
  • My short-story collection manuscript. "All Us Lovers," was a finalist in the 2004 Bakeless Prize for Fiction. The Bakeless Prize for Fiction is a manuscript contest in which first-place prize winners are awarded $1,000 and book publication. From: Breadload Writer's Conference of Middlebury College - (2004)

Research Expertise

Research Interests

fiction writing

craft of fiction

ethics of narration

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Languages, Communication And Culture (200000): Literary Studies (200500): New Zealand Literature (excl. Maori Literature) (200505): North American Literature (200506):
Studies In Creative Arts And Writing (190000):
Stylistics and Textual Analysis (200526)

Keywords

Thom's areas of expertise are creative wrting, American fiction, the short story, and narrative theory.

Research Projects

Summary of Research Projects

Position Current Completed
Project Leader 0 4

Research Outputs

Book

Conroy, T. (2018). Adaptation as Salvage: Transcoding history into fiction in The Naturalist. In C. Hermansson, & J. Zepernick (Eds.) Where Is Adaptation? Mapping cultures, texts, and contexts. (pp. 15 - 30). Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company
[Chapter]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2017). m a-2. In T. Conroy (Ed.) Home: New Writing. (pp. 229 - 242). : Massey University Press
[Chapter]Authored by: Conroy, T.Edited by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (Ed.) (2017). Home: New writing. Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Press
[Edited Book]Contributed to by: Conroy, T.Edited by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ.(2016). The salted air. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Random-House
[Authored Book]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2015). History, historical fiction and ‘phenomenological longing’. In T. Conroy, & G. Pittaway (Eds.) Minding the Gap: Writing Across Thresholds and Fault Lines. (pp. 43 - 52). : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
[Chapter]Authored by: Conroy, T.Edited by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ., & Pittaway, G, . (Eds.) (2015). Minding the gap: Writing across thresholds and fault lines. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
[Edited Book]Edited by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ.(2014). The Naturalist. : Random House
[Authored Book]Authored by: Conroy, T.

Journal

Conroy, T. (2019). Our Many Pasts: New Zealand Historical Fiction. The Academy of New Zealand Literature/Te Whare Mātātuhi o Aotearoa. Retrieved from https://www.anzliterature.com/who-we-are/
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2019). A Complicated Relationship. New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa. 29(125), 5-5Retreived from https://nzbooks.org.nz/2019/literature/a-complicated-relationship-thom-conroy/
[Book Review]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2018). The Jacket. Landfall. 236, 102-107
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2016). Promising softly-spoken wonder: Review of the Quiet Spectacular. New Zealand Books. 26(3), 4-5
[Book Review]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2015). A City Divided: Review of Hamish Clayton's The Pale North. The Listener.
[Book Review]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2015). Living Notes. TEXT. Vol 19(2) Retrieved from http://www.textjournal.com.au/
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2015). The carpenter. AGNI online. , 1-1 Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu/agni/history.html
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2014). Reading as Mudlarking: Review of The Chimes by Anna Smaill. New Zealand Books. 25(111), 3-4
[Book Review]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2013). Stalking the Big Questions: A Review of Goat Mountain by David Vann. The Listener.
[Book Review]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2013). New skaters. Landfall. 226, 101-111
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2013). Passing for song. Segue. 11(13), 4-14
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2013). Only A God Can Save Us. TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Programs. (Special Issue 21), 1-5 Retrieved from http://www.textjournal.com.au/speciss/issue21/Conroy.pdf
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2010). River stories. Sport. 38, 69-82
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Gough, T. (2009). The Open Well. Sunday Star Times. (27 December 2009), C7-C7 Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/3192689/The-Open-Well
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2009). Into the fields of electric light. Sport. 37, 164-170
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2010). The evening's peace. New England Review. 30, 52-58
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Gough, T. (2011). House of Spiders. New England Review. 32(1), 128-138 Retrieved from http://www.nereview.com/32-1/32-1contents.htm
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2008). Talk with men. New England Review. 29, 41-52
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2012). Spring mountain house. New England Review Online. Retrieved from http://www.nereview.com/tag/spring-mountain-house/
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2010). The Wentworth hotel and ballroom. Web Conjunctions. , 1-3
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2009). Lost water. The Kenyon Review. 4, 1-4
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Gough, T. (2010). The Reason Why. and/or. 1(Fall 2010), 74-75 Retrieved from http://www.and-or.org/issues.html%20or%20http://issuu.com/sophiaomni/docs/and-or1
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, T. (2008). The words I know. Ascent. 32, 62-74
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2008). Commerce, an old habit. Alaska Quarterly Review. , 75-90
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2008). The Springs of the Great Deep. Landfall. , 46-52
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2008). To keep ahead of the spring. The Greensboro Review. , 88-94
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2008). Always more. Eureka Literary Review. , 101-108
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2008). Wayward children and their guardians. AGNI Online.
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2006). Rocio's waltz. Lake Effect: A Journal of the Literary Arts. 10, 168-177
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Gough, TJ. (2005). Idleness, justice, kingship, love. Nimrod International Journal. 49(1), 11-26
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Gough, TJ. (2004). You see how much I know about jazz. Willow Springs. (53), 45-54
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2003). Us lovers. Connecticut Review. 25(2), 89-98
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2003). The credo of Donnie Gum. Laurel Review. 37(2), 79-86
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2003). The weather in Svalbard. GSU Review: The Georgia State University Literary Journal. (2003), 64-80
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2003). Mermaids of Perkiomen Creek. Colorado Review. 30(1), 55-66
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2003). The agency of invisible bodies. Sycamore Review. 15, 63-74
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2002). Moving pictures are forbidden until sunset. Quarterly West. (2002), 117-123
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2001). Darrel Spencer's caution: Men in trees. Quarter After Eight. 7, 326-328
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2001). Writing possibilities: Email and the creative writing classroom. Journal of Cooperation & Collaboration in College teaching. 10(2), 61-67
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2001). The infinite shades of white. Prairie Schooner. 75(4), 111-120
[Journal article]Authored by: Conroy, T.

Thesis

Conroy, TJ. (2002). All of us lovers. (Doctoral Thesis, Ohio University)
[Doctoral Thesis]Authored by: Conroy, T.

Conference

Conroy, TJ. (2012, September). Ark of specimens: Voyages of the imagination. Presented at Romantic Voyaging: Romantic Voyagers. Wellington, New Zealand.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ. (2012, November). Embedded on the boundary: A fictional exploration of Ernst Dieffenbach’s 1839 ethnology. Presented at Contemporary Ethnology Across the Disciplines. Hamilton, New Zealand.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Conroy, T.

Other

Alvarado, L., Aitchison, J., McKergow, F., Plumb, V., & Watson, G. (2015, March). 'Manawatu- Writing in/Writing of.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Alvarado, L., Watson, G.Contributed to by: Watson, G.Edited by: Conroy, T.
Conroy, TJ., & Walpert, B. (2013, March). Off the radar: Teaching creative writing in New Zealand. In 2013 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Conroy, T., Walpert, B.
Conroy, TJ.Reading of extract from novel The Whole Night as part of the Temporary Literaturhaus activities..
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Conroy, T.

Teaching and Supervision

Teaching Statement

139.123 Creative Writing

139.285 Fiction Writing

139.380 Starting your Manuscript

139.703 Creative and Crtical Research

139.765 New Directions in Creative Research

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 3 2
Co-supervisor 2 1

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Donna Banicevich Gera - Doctor of Philosophy
    Ahipara (The Sacred Fire)
  • Joan Jia - Doctor of Philosophy
    Ecofeminist Consciousness in ‘Prelude’ and Tales of Hulan River ---A Comparative Study of and beyond Katherine Mansfield and Xiao Hong
  • Athena Knight - Doctor of Philosophy
    Cross Cultural Exchange between Japan and the West

Co-supervisor of:

  • Whiti Hereaka - Doctor of Philosophy
    Ariā
  • Ros Lewis - Doctor of Philosophy
    Invisible Courage: How do memoirists write about trauma ?

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • 2020 - Gina Cole - Doctor of Philosophy
    Wayfinding Pasifikafuturism: An Indigenous Science Fiction Vision of the Ocean in Space
  • 2017 - Rebecca Styles - Doctor of Philosophy
    Inherited Body

Co-supervisor of:

  • 2020 - Jessica Richards - Doctor of Philosophy
    Illusions, Transformations and Iterations: storytelling as fiction, image, artefact.

Media and Links

Media

  • 27 May 2016 - Online
    Weekend Name Drop: Thom Conroy
    Author profile by blogger Antony Millen
  • 09 Aug 2014 - Radio
    Interview on Saturday Mornings with Kim Hill
    Kim and I discuss my historical novel The Naturalist.
  • 05 Jun 2016 - Radio
    Interview with Lynn Freeman on Standing Room Only
    Lynn Freeman and I discussed my novel The Salted Air.
  • 04 May 2016 - Online
    "The Salted Air – a new novel by Thom Conroy"
    Press Release from Massey University by Jennifer Little
  • 04 Jun 2016 - Newspaper, Online, Video
    What Words Weave:
    An article and associated video featuring my novel The Salted Air (Fairfax Media)
  • 01 Jun 2015 - Online
    Podcast: Conversation with Thom Conroy
    Conversation about fiction with Richard Paige.

Other Links