Michael O'Leary

O'Leary's novels and poetry explore his Māori (Te Arawa)– Irish Catholic heritage. His latest novel is Magic Alex's Revenge (2009), the third in 'The Dreamlander Express' trilogy comprising Unlevel Crossings (2002) and Straight (1985). His works include Surrogate Children (poems, 1981), Ten Sonnets (1985), Out of It (satirical novel, 1987), Before and After (1987), Livin’ ina Aucklan’ (1988) and The Irish Annals of New Zealand (1991).

In 2011, O'Leary collaborated with several musicians to produce an album entitled Fences Fall – Songs from the Lyrics of Michael O’Leary.

In 2009, a book of biography and criticism about Michael O'Leary and his publishing house, edited by Mark Pirie, was published. The book is entitled The Earl is in: 25 Years of the Earl of Seacliff: A to Z (2009).

Born in Auckland, he was educated at the Universities of Auckland and Otago. He wrote his master's thesis on the history of small presses in New Zealand. He is the author of Alternative Small Press Publishing in New Zealand (2007). He completed a PhD in women's studies at Victoria University of Wellington on the "Social and Literary Constraints on Women Writers in New Zealand 1945 to 1970".

Michael O'Leary is a New Zealand publisher, poet, novelist, performer, and bookshop proprietor. He publishes under the imprint Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, which he founded in 1984. He runs a bookshop with Irving Lipshaw, Kakariki Books, from the Paekakariki railway station.