A Sad Farewell–Donald’s Recollections of Iain Sharp
Iain James Sharp (24 April 1953 – 24 January 2026)
Librarian, Poet, Bookman
Never one to gripe or complain, Iain James Sharp battled courageously, quietly and stoically with a cancer, which he succumbed to on 24 January 2026. With Joy, his wife, he had made Nelson his home, enjoying a peaceful life and involving himself in the local Probus group, playing pétanque (of which he was deemed a natural), and visiting local spots such as Rabbit (Moturoa) Island. He was 72.
Glasgow-born, he arrived in New Zealand in 1961, age seven. Academically sharp, he passed through Penrose High to the University of Auckland, reading English. In 1979, he enrolled at library school at Victoria University Wellington and mixed with classmates such as Philip Rainer, former deputy chief librarian at the Alexander Turnbull Library, and Gordon Maitland, former curator of pictorial collections at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. After qualifying, he returned to Auckland and spent some years working at the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library at the Auckland College of Education. He also did some part-time work as a rare books assistant at the Grey Collection, Auckland Public Library. In 1982, he completed a PhD through Auckland University entitled Wit at several weapons: a critical edition (1982), based on the 17th century comedy by the Jacobean playwright and poet Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) and William Rowley (c.1585–1626).
Part-time work sat well with Iain. It enabled him to concentrate on what he loved: words and the craftmanship of them. Iain was a poet, producing poetry volumes such as Why Mammals Shiver (1981), She Is Trying to Kidnap the Blind Person (1985), The Pierrot Variations (1985), and The Singing Harp (2004). Like many in the late 70s and early 80s, he was often seen reading his material at the Globe Tavern, along with contemporaries Dave Mitchell and David Eggleton. On one other such occasion in Christchurch – where he was billed as a comedian – he played the kazoo, which greatly enhanced his poetic pyrotechnics.
He was also a well-respected book reviewer and columnist for numerous New Zealand periodicals: North & South, Metro, Pacific Way, the New Zealand Listener magazine, and the Sunday-Star Times. He had a critical eye and yet adopted a sensible, pragmatic approach to what he was reading. Always fair and remarkably honest, his turns of phrase were often spot-on, many of them revealing a strong sense of humour and wit. In 1999, he was named Reviewer of the Year at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. His trenchant attack on book reviewing and asking the question of where (and who) the good and honest book reviewers were in New Zealand is an acknowledged classic. This topic was first aired at a Slightly Foxed meeting, a gathering of Auckland book collectors to which he belonged. He gained a solid reputation in literary journalism and in the field as a literary critic.
A lover of words and puzzles, he regularly tackled crossword puzzles, wordle, sudoku. He had an ability to remember weird facts and details on the strangest things. Indeed, his knowledge was encyclopaedic, and he was a very welcome team member on pub quiz nights. One fact needs mention: he was not showy, pompous, or arrogant with his learning. He was modest and quiet to the nth degree, exhibiting a demure reserve. Importantly, he was encouraging to others entering the literary world. New, younger poets, or older writers who wanted feedback on their works were met with the same patience and understanding and fairness.
In the 2000s, Iain was back at the Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland City Library, as manuscripts librarian. He loved the work, which gave him time to fossick in the numerous collections and of course help others with their research. Because of his academic standing, he was tasked with completing a treasures book for the Auckland City Libraries: Real Gold (2007). This work gave him further time to discover the range and diversity of the riches in the named collections such as Grey, Shaw, Reed, Mackelvie, and the many other items such as the maps, manuscripts and photographs. It is a work that bristles with his enthusiasm for these materials.
The second and last items that feature in Real Gold concern Charles Heaphy (1820–1881), soldier, painter and colonial surveyor: ‘Plan of the town of Auckland’ (1851) and a pen and washing drawing of ‘Neche Cove, Nengone Loyalty Islands’ (c.1850). Heaphy obviously appealed to Iain’s sensibilities because in 2008 his Heaphy appeared, published by Auckland University Press. It is a superb biography that reflects his scholarship and his usual demand for accuracy in tracking down obscure facts about his subject. It is a very readable book. He must have been pleased with it.
Contemporaries in the world of letters in New Zealand have already remarked on this very sad occasion, the loss of such a good man: clever, witty, unassuming, never loud, and very kind. He was a consummate gentleman. His family will miss him greatly: Joy, his wife; Marion, his sister and her children Kyle and Rhiyen; and Don, Andrew and Tim, to whom Iain was a much-loved step-father. Vale.
Donald Kerr
Dunedin
February 2026