Creative New Zealand call for applications for two prestigious literary opportunities

Creative New Zealand is calling for applications for The Michael King Fellowship and the Berlin Writers’ Residency  both aimed at providing writers with the chance to spend a dedicated period of time working on specific projects.


Creative New Zealand chief executive Stephen Wainwright describes the special opportunities as an investment in New Zealand writers and literature.“Previous recipients of these opportunities have spoken about how precious time is to devote to writing. The Michael King Fellowship and the Berlin Writers’ Residency both allow writers to write without the distractions of everyday life and in turn produce quality work that adds to the wealth of New Zealand literature.”

The Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship, valued at $100,000 is named in recognition of the late Dr Michael King for his contribution to literature and his role in advocating for a major fellowship for New Zealand writers. The fellowship will be awarded for a project that will take two years or more to complete and is open to established authors of any literary genre who have already published a significant body of work.

Previous recipients of the fellowship are Owen Marshall, Vincent O’Sullivan, C.K. Stead, Rachel Barrowman, Neville Peat, Dame Fiona Kidman, Philip Simpson and Kate De Goldi.

The Berlin Writers’ Residency offers a New Zealand writer the opportunity to live and write in Berlin for a period of up to eleven months. The Creative New Zealand residency will provide a New Zealand writer with a payment of $40,000 to cover travel to Berlin, insurance and a stipend. A one bedroom apartment is also provided by Creative New Zealand in the Friedrichshain district in former East Berlin.

The primary aim of the residency is for the successful applicant to work on an approved project while in a new environment. On returning, they will be expected to have completed, or substantially completed, a body of writing.

Previous recipients of the Writers’ Residency are Sarah Quigley, Tina Shaw, Kapka Kassabova, Philip Temple, Tim Corballis, Lloyd Jones and James Mc Neish.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 25 February 2011.The Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship and the Berlin Writers’ Residency application forms are available from the Creative New Zealand website www.creativenz.govt.nz. For further information or a hard copy of the form, please contact:

Felicity Birch, Programme Adviser
Creative New Zealand
PO Box 3806
Wellington
Phone (04) 498 0735
felicityb@creativenz.govt.nz