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Newsletter April 2014
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This is what the Signalman’s
House looked like in November last year and what it looks
like today. It has been repiled and the surviving chimneys have been
reinforced. Part of the job was to reinstate the original decorative
balustrade, front steps and building “skirt”, as well. Needless to say it was
extremely disruptive. The 1898 building is a listed heritage building on a
sensitive site.
The house could not be lifted, so the old piles had to be dug
out by hand and the new piles put in the same way. It was a huge job and
tough work for the men who did the digging. Some of the work is still to be
completed, but at least we were able to get the place back into working shape
for the start of the year. The project was funded by the Devonport Takapuna
Local Board and managed by the Auckland Council. Few renovations go according
to plan and this was no exception. Just when things were getting settled again,
Watercare Services advised that the water supply was being disconnected while
they cleaned the water reservoirs on the top of Takarunga Mt Victoria. The
two-week job stretched to two months, but we were well-supplied with tank
water, although the garden struggled in the dry weather.
Meantime, it has been business as usual for our writers. Summer Resident Alice Miller
arrived from Vienna in early January and spent eight weeks hard at work on
her novel, taking a break each day to enjoy a swim. She took part in the
writers’ week at the International Festival of the Arts, where her volume of
poetry The Limits
was launched. Alice has since been awarded the Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship
and will also hold a residency at Massey University in Palmerston North.
 Our
major projects are steaming ahead, with workshops under way for young writers
and an exciting programme in the year ahead,20 Poetry Project workshops are being offered to schools in different parts of Auckland, many of them featuring poets Grace Taylor and Daren Kamali, and Deborah Shepard leading master classes in memoir at the centre. The Young Writers’ Programme is funded by Creative New Zealand and The Poetry Project this year is funded by the Auckland Council. We are already hard at work on this year’s residential workshop for mid-career and established writers. This year’s workshop, to be held in early November at Vaughan Park, will look at what’s happening in publishing – from the writers’ perspective. We have also been working on the process of selecting a New Zealand writer to take part in the Shanghai International Writers’ Programme in September and October this year. We were hugely impressed with the standard of the applications received for this opportunity. Three writers have been nominated by the New Zealand selection panel. Their applications will go forward to the Shanghai Writers’ Association, which will make the final selection. It has been a very interesting process to develop this exciting opportunity in partnership with the Shanghai Writers’ Association and the NZ China Friendship Society
.
There has been a lot happening at the centre this year, with a
lovely poetry event on Auckland Anniversary Day, an affecting author talk by
former resident writer Deborah Shepard at the Takapuna Library, an evening
with performance poets in February, a poetry challenge for children as part
of the Devonport Treasure Hunt, a session on independent publishing by
Mairangi Writers, and an event with Alice Miller at the Devonport Library
Associates. As usual, the Michael King Writers’ Centre book group meets once
a month and several writing groups have made use of our space.
This year, we are planning a new series of events called “In
Conversation”, featuring prominent writers in conversation with a fellow
writer, colleague or friend. These intimate events will be held on the last
Sunday of every month, from April to August.
 The
first in the series will bring together Peter Wells and Shonagh Koea in
conversation on Sunday April 27 at 4 pm at the Michael King Writers’ Centre.
Other guest writers in the series will include art writer and biographer Joanne Drayton and
film maker Gaylene
Preston later in the year. There will be a small charge so
that we can enjoy a glass of wine.
A small group from the centre had a delightful trip to Driving Creek Railway
in Coromandel in March to visit our dear friend, clay artist and railway
developer, Barry
Brickell. Barry – who grew up in Devonport - has been a
regular visiting writer at the centre over several years, as he has had
several writing projects under way. We have fond memories of the sound of his
electric typewriter in the front room. Barry recently opened a splendid new
art gallery at Driving Creek, where he shows some of his own excellent art
collection as well as his own paintings. (see below)
We had the opportunity to look behind the scenes at the
gallery and the pottery, which was a real privilege. As well as his many
creative accomplishments, Barry has reforested his land and established a
wildlife sanctuary, so there is a great deal to see. We went from Auckland to
Coromandel by ferry and it was a lovely day trip, one we would all highly
recommend (as well as stopping in at the Driving Creek Café almost next door
to the railway).
Please follow us on Facebook, where we have regular updates
and lots of photos of our events.
Best regards
Karren Beanland, Manager |
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News and Notes
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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.
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Friday, April 11, 2014
The Michael King Writers' Centre - April 2014 newsletter
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