The Michael King Writers' Centre Newsletter December 2014

MKWC Newsletter December 2014

Season’s greetings from the Michael King Writers’ Centre and best wishes for the year ahead. We are winding up this week after a very busy and successful year. We have had a wonderful group of resident writers this year: Alice Miller (Summer), Peter Wells (Autumn), Kelly Ana Morey (Maori Writer’s Residency) and currently Anne Kennedy (holding the six-month University of Auckland Residency). We’ve had 30 writers in residence since the project started in 2005 and four more exciting writers have been selected for 2015: playwright Philip Braithwaite, art and culture author Roger Horrocks, historian and fiction-writer Mere Whaanga and indie dramatist Rochelle Bright. We have had the privilege of hosting 23 visiting writers from Invercargill to Finland. One of our earliest visiting writers, Wellington-based Tracy Farr, has had great success with the novel she worked on while she was here. The Lives and Loves of Lena Gaunt, recently read on National Radio, was listed for the prestigious Australian Miles Franklin Award and short-listed for two other major Australian awards.  And it’s her first novel. Our alumni continue to have wonderful success: Arthur Meek’s residency in New York has inspired some fine and innovative theatre, Ian Wedde was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement for Poetry, and Eleanor Catton’s star continues to shine. Warm congratulations to you - and to all of our writers who have had work published. We continued our international writers’ exchange in partnership with the NZ China Friendship Society this year, providing an opportunity for New Zealand author Alison Wong to hold a residency in Shanghai in September and October. Our outreach programmes have continued this year with great success, and will be offered again next year. The Young Writers’ Programme offered workshops and master classes to more than 130 talented senior students from all over the Auckland region, with an exciting lineup of writers, culminating in the production of Signals, our literary journal for young writers. The Poetry Project introduced talented writers Grace Taylor and Daren Kamali to 450 mostly primary and intermediate pupils in schools in the north, west and south of Auckland. This year’s residential workshop for established writers was on publishing and was a fascinating weekend. We also had a large programme of events. The new In Conversation winter series of Sunday soirees (a good excuse for a glass of wine and a literary chat) were stimulating and enjoyable. Look out for the series next winter. We had the privilege of hosting a book launch for former resident writer Te Awhina Arahanga – a moving and beautiful occasion – for her first volume of poetry Darkness in Light published by Steele Roberts. There is another event for that book at Bookmark in Devonport on Monday from 5 pm (all welcome). Our first event for 2015 will be on Auckland Anniversary Day – Monday January 26, from 11 am to 4 pm – when there will be a Poetry and Picnic open day at the centre. All are welcome to enjoy the garden and watch the yacht racing on the Waitemata. We hope to have a small event for Alison Wong in February, when she will be visiting Auckland. The garden has blossomed in recent months, thanks to the most generous support of keen gardener Angela Paykel, and the efforts of expert plantsman Martin Keay. At last the garden is getting the care and attention it deserves, with wonderful heritage planting and landscaping. We are so grateful for the beautiful environment that is being created. Early next year we will reinvigorate our garden volunteer group so we can continue to keep the garden looking lovely. There are so many people to thank for the success of everything that happens at the Michael King Writers’ Centre. Thanks to the wonderful Tania Stewart in the office and Lynn Dawson for her enthusiasm for our programmes and events, to our hard-working and committed trustees, to all our suppliers who are so often asked to step up at the last minute, to all our supporters, donors and funders who make the project possible – above all, thanks to all the wonderful writers who are involved in the centre in all sorts of ways. I need a cup of tea and a lie down after this busy year. With a pile of great New Zealand books, of course. Best wishes for the holiday season Karren PS: The office will be open limited hours through January. Email or leave a message and we will get back to you.

The Michael King Writers’ Centre is a charitable trust, registered with the Charities Service (CC 25972). We support New Zealand writers and promote high-quality New Zealand writing. We need your support! Our activities are funded by individual donors, volunteers, corporate supporters and grants from a range of organisations including the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, Auckland Council, Creative New Zealand, the Lion Foundation, the ASB Community Trust, the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, the Chisholm Whitney Family Charitable Trust, Grant Thornton and Deloitte. We thank our funders and of those who make this project possible.

Signalman's House, Mount Victoria, Devonport, Auckland 0624, New Zealand Postal address: PO Box 32 629, Devonport, Auckland 0744. Phone/fax: 09 445 8451 Email: administrator@writerscentre.org.nz  Web: www.writerscentre.org.nz