Huo Yan – MKWC 2013
Huo Yan, from Beijing, who held the Rewi Alley Fellowship at the Michael King Writers Centre in 2013.
read moreNew 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.
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. She has published 23 books including novels, a novella collection and two short story collections.
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: http://www.anzliterature.com/feature/letter-from-shanghai/
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’
Huo Yan, from Beijing, who held the Rewi Alley Fellowship at the Michael King Writers Centre in 2013.
read moreAlison Wong who took part in the 2014 Shanghai Writing Program in Shanghai. Alison says of her residency: ‘The Shanghai International Writing Programme was invaluable as research for my new book, but also for stimulating…
read moreIn 2016 Heidi North 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…
read moreXiao Bai who held the 2015 Rewi Alley Fellowship at the Michael King Writers’ Centre.
read moreYin Jian Ling held a two-month residency. Yin is a poet, essayist, novelist, literary critic, illustrator and translator.
read moreFrances was the third writer to go to Shanghai as part of our international exchange and had this to say about her experience: We were thirteen writers from around the world, a lively and diverse…
read moreShanghai born and bred, Sun Wei is a former journalist, documentary filmmaker, and corporate general manager. She has published 23 books including novels, a novella collection and two short story collections. Her novels have won…
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