Applications for the 2017 D’Arcy Writers’ Grants, in association with North & South magazine, for essays of 10,000 to 12,000 words on New Zealand life and culture will close on Friday, October 28. The grants will no longer be residential, but will be increased to $5000 each and the winning essays will be published in special sections of North & South magazine.

Applications should be sent in Word format to journo@clear.net.nz. They must include a reasonably well developed synopsis of the proposed essay, plus a full biographical note, including references to, and some examples of, previously published work.

The successful applicants will be announced on Monday, November 28. The judging panel will be writer  Gordon McLauchlan (chair); Virginia Larson, editor of North & South; Jackie Dennis, New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN Inc); writer Hamish Keith; and writer Bruce Ansley.

The writer will, of course, retain copyright and moral rights for the work but the Committee will hold the publishing right.

Any inquiries should also be sent to journo@clear.net.nz..