New Zealand’s literary exchange with China is available through a partnership between the New Zealand China Friendship Society, the Michael King Writers Centre, the Shanghai Writers Association, and Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The exchange with China continues this year and we are looking forward to welcoming Shanghai based writer Chen Danyan to MKWC for eight weeks in September.

Following a break in the residency exchange programme due to the global pandemic, we were very happy to announce that, Melinda Szymanik was selected as the fourth New Zealand writer to join the 2023 Shanghai Writers’ Association’s International Writing Programme.

Melinda joined writers from eight other countries around the world for two months in Shanghai in September and October 2023. The writers receive free accommodation in an inner-city apartment, a small stipend for living expenses and air travel.

For a glimpse into Melinda’s time in Shanghai see here.

In September 2019 we welcomed Sun Wei to the centre for her residency. Described as one of China’s most original and leading voices,  Sun Wei, Shanghai born and bred, is a former journalist, documentary filmmaker, and corporate general manager.

Since the exchange began in 2013, three other Chinese writers have also enjoyed a residency at the  Centre  In 2013 Huo Yan, a young writing star from Beijing, took up the first Rewi Alley Fellowship, followed by  acclaimed novelist Xiao Bai from Shanghai in 2015. In 2017  Yin Jian Ling held the two-month residency. Yin is a poet, essayist, novelist, literary critic, illustrator and translator; a versatile Chinese writer of children’s literature, who has covered a wide range of subjects. 

In 2018 Frances Edmond was the recipient of the exchange and she wrote ‘One cannot live in a place even for a short time without it becoming a part of the psyche, leaving its imprint on the essence of who you are.  The opportunity provided by the Shanghai residency, the experience of living and writing in that enormous, vibrant, hospitable city is a rare gift, one to be treasured and always remembered’. 

In 2016 Heidi North Bailey was the recipient of the exchange. Heidi said at the time:

‘I’m having a marvellous, stimulating and productive time. The Shanghai Writers Programme has organised some thoughtful activities for us including visiting a writer’s home, and we have participated in several stimulating cross-cultural literary discussions. But I am also having plenty of time to put hands to keyboard and write. Being here is such a gift’. 

For more on Heidi’s exchange see here.

In 2014 Alison Wong was the first New Zealand writer selected to join the international writers’ programme.  Alison wrote of her experience:

‘The residency  was invaluable as research for my new book, but also for stimulating fresh creativity and inquiry through exposure to a completely different environment, language and culture. The connections made, whether with Chinese or other international writers were personally and professionally rewarding’