2018 Writers in Residence

2018  hosts the  largest-ever number of residencies, offering opportunities to 15 emerging and established writers – historians, essay writers, fiction writers, poets and dramatists.

The University of Auckland Residency at the MKWC has been awarded to acclaimed playwright Victor Rodger who will work on a novel and a collection of short fiction. ‘Having written an essay last year for the Academy of New Zealand Literature about the state of Pasifika fiction,’ Victor says, ‘it’s very clear that New Zealand is lacking Pasifika novelists. One of the huge drivers for me to finish this work is the desire to add another voice to the canon.’

The newly established Pasifika residencies will be held by historian Trevor Bentley and poet Serie Barford as established writers and the emerging Pasifika residency goes to  ‘radical accountant’ Pala Malisa, son of former Vanua’aku Pati cabinet minister Sela Molisa and civil servant and the writer Grace Molisa.

Helen Waaka,  Kelly Joseph and Nadine Anne Hura will hold emerging Maori writer residencies during Matariki and Jacquie McRae will take up the Māori Writer’s Residency to work on a new work of fiction based on facts about the colourful history of the temperance movement in New Zealand and the resulting illicit trade of home brewed whiskey.

Other emerging writers awarded residencies are Allan Drew, Lawrence Patchett, and Rosetta Allan.

Karyn Hay will take up a four week residency to work on compiling a series of vignettes into publication form.

Tracy Farr been awarded the four-week Spring Residency to work on her latest project; her third novel – the story of three sisters, identical triplets born in an amusement park in the first decade of the twentieth century. The novel explores the sisters’ ability to describe the world and make it into sense, and to live lives filled with wonder. It is a novel that is deeply interested in voice and in identity – how they form, how they develop and change.

In the late spring, Mark Broatch will spend two weeks working on completing the final draft of a contemporary novel that has at its centre an exploration of modern relationships and male friendship.

The Early Summer Residency has been awarded to Courtney Sina Meredith.  Her project is a work of creative non-fiction. Courtney says ‘this will be a book of creative non-fiction that plaits together stories of young creatives in Aotearoa with an emphasis on Pasifika, Maori and Queer voices. This book is inspired by the ‘real life’ stories I have been privileged enough to hear, receive and observe – as a writer, educator, arts administrator, and more recently as a feature writer and contributing editor’.

The Michael King Writers’ Centre thanks all applicants and wishes all our residency recipients the best of luck with their work.

Thank you to Creative New Zealand for their support of these residencies.