New Zealand writer Ingrid Horrocks and Australian writer Fiona Murphy have been announced as the recipients of the 2025 New Zealand-Australia residency exchange, an international residency programme held by Varuna, the Australian National Writers House in collaboration with the Michael King Writers Centre in Auckland.
The four-week residency exchange will take place during October and November 2025. Fiona will spend her time at the Michael King Writers Centre working on her debut novel. Ingrid will work on her latest book, a novel, at Varuna and will appear at the Blue Mountains Writers Festival.
Ingrid receives return flights to Sydney, four weeks accommodation and meals at Varuna and the opportunity to appear at the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival in November.
New Zealand writer Dominic Hoey and Australian writer Kathryn Heyman were the recipients of the 2024 New Zealand-Australia residency exchange.
In 2023 it was Emma Hislop (NZ) and Fiona Kelly McGregor (Aust.) and Kate Mildenhall was the Australian recipient of the inaugural residency exchange in 2022 whilst Gina Cole was the New Zealand writer who was selected to go to Australia that year.
For more information about the program, see the Varuna website.
New Zealand’s literary exchange with Australia is available through a partnership between Varuna Writers House in Katoomba New South Wales, Australia and the Michael King Writers Centre. This residency programme is supported by the Creative Australia (previously known as Australia Council for the Arts).
