Writers at the Centre

Writers-in-Residence

Five authors have been writer-in-residence at the Signalman's House since 2005, with the assistance of Creative New Zealand. The 2008 residency is a joint venture between the Michael King Writers' Centre, Creative New Zealand and The University of Auckland.

2008 Resident – Chris Price

Prominent New Zealand poet Chris Price is the writer-in-residence at the Michael King Writers' Centre in Auckland for the first half of 2008.

During the residency, Chris Price plans to complete a new collection of poems, The Blind Singer, and lay the groundwork for another major project - a full-length work of creative non-fiction that will blend biography, travel, memoir, history and essay. Death's Jest-Book will re-imagine the life of the eccentric English poet, anatomist and suicide Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849) for a modern audience.

Chris Price's first collection of poetry Husk (Auckland University Press, 2002) hit the bestseller list (unusually for a book of poems), before receiving the 2002 Best First Book of Poetry Prize at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

Her second book, Brief Lives (AUP, 2006) is a genre-crossing work that includes elements of poetry, essay, memoir and fiction. It was shortlisted for the 2007 Montana New Zealand Book Awards in the biography category. It was also chosen as one of Best Books of 2006 by the NZ Listener, Dominion Post, National Radio and LeafSalon.

Chris Price was also one of ten writers who participated in the science-art collaboration that produced Are Angels OK? The parallel universes of New Zealand artists and scientists (Victoria University Press, 2006), edited by Paul Callaghan and Bill Manhire.

Price has worked as a book editor, and edited the national literary journal Landfall for most of the 1990s. From 1992 to 2004 she was coordinator of Writers and Readers Week for the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Since 2004 she has taught the poetry workshop at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University as well as managing its public events programmes and editing the online journal Turbine. She has an MA (Hons) in Languages and Literature from The University of Auckland, and an MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University.

The residency for the first half of 2008 is a joint venture between The University of Auckland, Creative New Zealand and the Michael King Writers' Centre. It is the first time that the three organisations have teamed up to offer the residency. The inaugural grant aims to foster New Zealand writing by providing a full-time opportunity to work in an academic environment together with residence and studio space at the writers' centre in Devonport.

2007 Resident – Margaret Hayward

The 2007 resident at the Michael King Writers’ Centre was Otaki author, Margaret Hayward. She wrote Diary of the Kirk Years, published in 1982, and Women Writers of New Zealand (with Joy Cowley) in 1983.

During her residency resident, she planned to complete a book on Prime Ministerial leadership in New Zealand and to carry out research for other projects.

2006 Resident – Gerry Evans

Gerry Evans – author of Where Giants Dwell (1999), Good Morning USA (2004) and Shipping Out (2006) – was the resident for seven months in 2006. Born in west Wales, he settled in New Zealand in 1963. He spent 30 years as a seaman and 10 years as a waterside worker, and served on the executive of both unions. He was the National Secretary of the Seafarers’ Union from 1988 to 1994.

Sadly, Gerry died suddenly at his home in Wellington in May 2008.

Article about his appointment

2005 Resident – Diane Brown

Dunedin novelist, poet and memoirist, Diane Brown, wrote Here Comes Another Vital Moment while she was resident for three months in 2005.

Born in Auckland, Brown now lives in Dunedin, where she writes books and reviews, assesses manuscripts and teaches fiction writing at Aoraki Polytechnic. Her first book, Before the Divorce We Go to Disneyland, was published in 1997 and won the Best First Book of Poetry at the Montana Book Awards. She won the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship in 1997, and published her first prose novel If the Tongue Fits
in 1999, followed by 8 Stages of Grace, a verse novel in 2002. She wrote Liars & Lovers, a travel memoir, in 2004.

NZ Book Council page for Diane Brown

2005 Resident - Geoff Chapple

Geoff Chapple was the first resident at the centre when it opened in 2005. His play Hatch, written at the house, was a major success at the AK07 Arts Festival and has toured New Zealand since.

A noted journalist, Chapple has written six books of non-fiction, including 1981: The Tour and Rewi Alley of China. Alley was also the subject of his 1998 opera libretto, performed at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts (with music by Jack Body). He has written radio drama and co-wrote the screenplay of Vincent Ward's acclaimed film The Navigator.

Chapple initiated the idea of a New Zealand-long tramping track – Te Araroa. He left his position as deputy editor of The Listener to begin work for Te Araroa Trust, which is now putting the trail in place.

Te Araroa Trust
NZ Book Council article

 

For further information please contact:
The Administrator
The Michael King Writers’ Centre
PO Box 32-629
Devonport
North Shore City 0744
Phone/fax  09 445 8451
Send email to the Adminstrator