Verb Wellington Writers Residency
With Katherine Mansfield House & Garden and Park Hotel
Read about our 2020 Resident, Himali McInnes below.
Verb Wellington, Park Hotel and Katherine Mansfield House & Garden have come together to offer an opportunity to spend time in one of the world’s most vibrant literary cities to focus on your writing.
For three weeks between 1 June — 10 July 2020 the Resident will have a dedicated writing space at Katherine Mansfi
Himali McInnes: Verb Wellington Resident 2020eld’s birthplace in Thorndon and will live in Park Hotel on The Terrace.
Himali McInnes is a family doctor who works in a busy Auckland practice and in the prison system. She enjoys writing short stories, essays, articles, flash fiction and mediocre poetry. She has been published locally and internationally, and has either won or been short-listed in several writing competitions. She is an NZSA Mentorship recipient for 2020. Himali is also a maker of messes – through gardening, beekeeping, cooking and chicken farming. She is humbled and so grateful to be a Verb Wellington Residency recipient, as she loves Wellington (best op shops ever) and is very much looking forward to time spent writing at the Katherine Mansfield House & Garden.
About Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield is New Zealand’s most internationally famous author. She was a writer of short stories, poetry, letters, journals and reviews, and changed the way the short story was written in the English language. She was a rebel and a modernist who lived her short life of 34 years to the full. Her life spanned a time when gender roles for women underwent a radical change. Read more about Katherine here.
About Park Hotel
Situated in the heart of Wellington’s CBD, Park Hotel is nestled between the bustling Terrace and Midland Park. Opened in 2016, we have everything you expect in a contemporary 4-star hotel and something you’ll seldom get elsewhere – an insider’s guide to the city. A truly Wellington hotel, we’re locally owned and operated. We know this place inside out, and we love it – the city and its surrounds, its businesses and the vibrant creative culture. Read more about Park Hotel here.
RESIDENCY APPLICATION INFORMATION 2020
Information and Application deadlines
When: The residency can take place during any three weeks between 1 June – 10 July 2020. When you complete the application form you will be asked to specify a three-week period.
What: You will receive a $1,000NZD stipend to cover food and other incidental expenses over your three-week stay (accommodation is covered thanks to Park Hotel). From Monday to Friday during each of the three weeks, you will have use of a small, private office space with access to Wifi and basic kitchen facilities at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden.
Criteria: We invite writers at all stages of their careers to apply. The residency is open to any writer from any part of the world (including Aotearoa). You must be working in one of the following genre: short stories, the novel, poetry, creative non-fiction or/and memoir.
Required: You will be required to do up to two public events while in Wellington for the residency and to attend one welcome dinner and one farewell event.
Travel: International authors must self fund or seek other sources of funding to cover international travel. Aotearoa authors will need to cover the cost of domestic travel to Wellington.
Visas: Verb Wellington will assist with any visas required to travel to New Zealand, however the visa administration and/or application cost must be covered by the author. (Where only an NZeTA is required, Verb Wellington will cover the cost of the NZeTA. For more info on NZeTA process see the Immigration New Zealand website here).
Application fee: We charge $8NZD per application. We are a charitable Trust and this amount means we cover the costs of administration for the residency.
Deadlines: applications opened on 14 February and closed Friday 20 March. The successful applicant will be notified by 30 March.
