Thursday, December 02, 2010

NZ Society of Authors 2011 Mentor Programme

NZSA is delighted to be able to announce the opening of their 2011 Mentor Programme with thanks to funding from Creative New Zealand.


Since its inception in 2001, the programme has had many successes. Mentored projects including poetry collections, novels, and work for children have been accepted for publication and many graduates have gone on to develop successful careers in published writing.
This is what some of our previous mentees had to say about the programme:

I credit the Mentor Programme with spring-boarding my career to a whole new level. I consider myself very fortunate, indeed, to have been accepted into the programme... Kyle Mewburn - 2006 recipient


I was awarded a NZSA Mentor for my novel Weathered Bones. The simple fact of being accepted into this programme was a great boost for my confidence as a very new writer. However the true benefit of the programme was the specific advice and support afforded me by my mentor Siobhan Harvey. Michele Powles - 2007 recipient

The programme is designed to help new and emerging writer's by developing skills which will sustain them throughout their future careers in writing. Working on a specific project, successful applicants will get an opportunity to discuss ideas and problems, practical and editorial advice, and benefit from the experience of published writers.

Mentorships run until December 2011 and are for a maximum of 20 hours of one-on-one tuition with an experienced author or editor. Mentors are generally taken from our extensive register of mentors which includes some of New Zealand’s most experienced writers, editors and creative writing tutors, however applications have the option to suggest a mentor of their choice.

Applicants are expected to have some publishing record – a few stories, or non-fiction articles, for instance – or to have attended creative writing courses, so they are aware of the basics of writing. They should also have a substantial work-in-progress in any literary genre. There are 15 full mentorships available in the 2011 programme, as well as two half-mentorships of 10 hours each which are available for work - such as picture book texts or poetry - that is deemed not to require a full mentorship. Applications incur a $20 application fee. Estimated value of each full mentorship is $1,100.

Please note that the usual deadline has been brought forward for this programme to 28 February 2011.

For information and an application form please email office@nzauthors.org.nz or visit http://www.authors.org.nz/

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