Writers at The Centre
Visiting Writers
Writers are able to stay at the centre for short-term visits while they carry out research or visit Auckland. Recent short-term residents have included:
Jill Marshall
UK-born Jill Marshall is best known as the author of the Jane Blonde spy series for children published by Macmillan Publishing. Jane Blonde books are now sold in the UK, Australasia, France, Italy, Poland and Hungary. One of the series was chosen as one of nine special books for the prestigious World Book Day in the UK. Jane Blonde The Perfect Spylet reached the top ten in the UK best sellers lists when it was selling 12,000 copies a week.
Jill has also recently had a 'hen lit' novel called The Two Miss Parsons published with Penguin NZ which is about to optioned for movie rights, and has more adult fiction, a new children's series, and a children's picture book coming out next year.
Jill has used the Michael King Writers' Centre as a workspace several times. When not writing herself, she assists other writers through her consultancy Write Good Stuff. Write Good Stuff has sponsored its own Children's Writers Residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre in 2008, helping two children's authors to have time and space to work.
Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins spent six days at the house in May 2008. She lives on a lifestyle block north of Blenheim.
Perseverance paid off when Sue's first novel Three Hearts was published in May 2007. This was followed by publication of her first fantasy novel Sky Castles Trilogy – Blue & Silver in January 2008. The second novel Russet & Gold will be released in August 2008. Whilst at the house, Sue worked on the last novel of the trilogy Ebony & Ivory. Sue, a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors, found the house to be exactly the surroundings she needed for writing. A comfortable room with everything to hand, and none of the interruptions one gets with daily life at home.
"Blue & Silver: Sky Castles Book 1" Now Available
"Whiskey Shots Volume 16" Now Available
"Recipe for Love" Now Available
"Russet & Gold: Sky Castles Book 2" release date August 2008 by Whiskey Creek Press
www.whiskeycreekpress.com
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com
Paula Morris
Paula Morris is a novelist and short story writer of English and Maori descent, originally from west Auckland. For almost a decade she worked in the record business in London and New York. She now lives in New Orleans and teaches creative writing at the University of Tulane.
Her first novel, Queen of Beauty, won best first work of fiction at the 2003 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Hibiscus Coast, a literary thriller set in Auckland and Shanghai, was published in 2005 and has been optioned for film. Her third novel, Trendy But Casual, was recently published by Penguin New Zealand.
She is also the director of the Scudder Road Circus and Literary Journal.
Morris stayed at the Michael King Writers’ Centre in June 2007. She
wrote about her time at the house and took some excellent photos, which
are included on her blogsite, trendybutcasual.
Paula's photos and comments about the Centre::
Last day in Devonport
last night at the Centre
Devonport ferry views
Views from the Signalman's House
Joan Rosier-Jones
Joan Rosier-Jones stayed at the house in July this year as a short-term visitor. She is from Wanganui.
Her first novel, Cast Two Shadows, was published in 1986. A tutor of creative writing, she has written two how-to-write books. So You want to Write is a guide to creative writing and Writing Your Family History takes the reader through the process of turning their family stories and memoirs into readable form. Her novel, Voyagers, was based on her own family history, drawing on the stories that her parents told her as a child. Her other novels are Canterbury Tales (1990), Mother Tongue, (1996), and Yes (2000). Joan is an active member of the New Zealand Society of Authors. She said of her time at the Michael King Centre, 'It was pure bliss - a comfortable room of one's own with all mod.cons and the freedom to write and write and write.'
If you would like to apply to stay at the Michael King Writers’ Centre, 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