Sorry, Im̀ a stranger here myself

An evocative and intriguing memoir following Peter's boyhood in the UK, experiencing the war years, living with the 'total stranger' who was his father and enduring the premature loss of both parents. It takes him to near destitution before he immigrated to New Zealand. He eventually married, moved through a series of jobs, including working for the Listener and being co-founder of the Downstage Theatre. He also began to write poetry and mixed with other writers, including James K Baxter, Louis Johnson, Fleur Adcock, Alistair Campbell and Gordon Challis. And just as he was establishing himself as a New Zealander, as part of the local landscape, he won a scholarship that sent him back to London to study acting. The text and poetry in this vivid, honest and revealing memoir provide strong evocations of the UK through the 30s and 40s and New Zealand in the 50s and 60s. It's a testament to a specific time and an irrepressible individual.