Shanghai delegation visits Michael King Writers' Centre

Michael King Writers’ Centre

Attending the visit of a delegation from Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries was (left to right): Bob Ross, Deputy Chair, Michael King Writers’ Trust, Ka Meechan, Executive Director, MKWC, Zhou Yajun, Vice President, SPAFFC and Dave Bromwich, National President, New Zealand China Friendship Society.

One of the first official duties of the new executive director of The Michael King Writers’ Centre was to host a delegation of six members of the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) lead by Mr Zhou Yajun, the vice-president, at the Takarunga Mt Victoria facility on Friday 11 December.

Ka Meechan, who took up her position on 1 December, together with Bob Ross, Deputy Chair of the Michael King Writers’ Trust, welcomed the Shanghai guests with the help of the National President of the New Zealand China Friendship Society Dave Bromwich and committee member Sean Shadbolt (photographer and son of author Maurice Shadbolt). Also joining in the visit were Jan O’Connor, a member of the Devonport Takapuna Local Board and advisory trustee of the Michael King Writers’ Trust and noted journalist and writer Geoff Chapple who is a specialist advisor to the Trust.

The Michael King Writers’ Centre has had an exchange with the Shanghai Writers’ Association since 2013. Two Chinese writers have been residents at the studio:  Huo Yan for two months in 2013 and Xiao Bai in September and October 2015. New Zealand writer Alison Wong took part in the Shanghai International Writers’ Programme in Shanghai in September and October 2014.

Ka Meechan said: “We enjoyed showing our visitors around the centre, and discussing how the three bodies can continue to work together to develop the international exposure of writers in both countries.”

Zhou Yajun said: “It was really helpful for us to have a face-to-face conversation.

We return to Shanghai to work on a report on the writers' exchange program for the Shanghai Writers' Association. “