Robert Lord was born in Rotorua in 1945 and died 7 January 1992.

Robert studied for an Arts Degree at Victoria University and in 1969 was awarded the Katherine Mansfield Young Writers Award. His first full length play It Isn't Cricket premiered at Downstage Theatre in 1971. From 1970-74 he was an editorial board member of ACT magazine and during this period helped to found Playmarket.

His play It Isn´t Cricket was featured as part of the inaugural Australian National Playwrights Conference in 1973 and in 1974, he travelled across the United States on his way to the O'Neil Playwrights Conference in Connecticut. On his return to New Zealand he was instrumental in establishing the workshopping process in New Zealand.

Throughout the 1980's Robert was based in New York, a city he loved. His script Well Hung was warmly received at the Trinity Square Repertory and he became a leading figure in the New Dramatists group. A prolific playwright, his work was seen throughout New Zealand as well as in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Robert wrote numerous television programs as well as the screenplay for the New Zealand feature Pictures. At the time of his death, he was working on the screenplay The Big Ditch.

Robert was playwright in residence at Auckland's Mercury Theatre and Burns Fellow at Otago University in 1987. In 1990 he returned to Dunedin where he died aged 46. His commitment to New Zealand writing is reflected in his decision to make his Dunedin cottage available to writers.

Robert Lord Residency