Samantha Montgomerie lives on the Otago Peninsula, Ōtepoti Dunedin.

Her proposed project during this Fellowship is a middle-grade (ages 8 to 12 years) fiction novel – Sea and Sky Collide.

Set in the Marlborough Sounds, this action-packed story is based around two young people fighting to take a stand to protect our natural taonga, with a focus on the Hector’s dolphin. It will be an engaging book, showing readers they are never too young to stand up for what they believe in.

“The topical issues of a planet in crisis, families struggling with mental health issues, and learning to accept change when it is thrust on us will resonate with modern children,” says Samantha.

“Our tamariki live in an age where our planet is in crisis. As an educator of young people, I know this causes many of them to feel a sense of powerlessness in how to respond. It is timely that an engaging middle grade novel, centred around the tamariki of Aotearoa, addresses these issues and reflects their own reality.”

Samantha is an award-winning writer, who has published a large volume of diverse work, including fiction, non-fiction, educational readers, emergent chapter books and poetry.

“I am extremely grateful to be awarded this fellowship. Having the space, time and resources to focus on this project is a real gift. It will be an absolute joy and privilege to focus solely on my writing and is validating as a writer.”

As well as the time and space to write, this residency will allow Samantha access to University resources, including connecting with academics who are world leaders in the research of Hector’s dolphins.

Already an active member of the Dunedin and national literary community, Samantha says she will enjoy taking up the mantle of responsibility that comes with this residency and will be an eager ambassador of children’s literature and the University’s role within the UNESCO City of Literature.