1 December 2023

This year’s Michael King Writers Centre residency selection panel once again had their work cut out for them with the highest number of applications ever received for the 17 residencies planned across 2024. There were 141 applicants totalling 538 individual applications across all of the available categories. A continuing trend is the high number of applicants in the emerging writers category. There is clearly a large and growing demand for developing writers to have an opportunity to retreat and work on their craft.

The Michael King Writers Centre Trust is looking forward to welcoming and hosting a diverse cohort of writers throughout the year.

Established writers to receive residencies are: Barbara Sumner, Craig Cliff, Daren Kamali, Darryn Joseph, Guy Langford, Hazel Phillips, Sam Duckor- Jones and Vasanti Unka.

Emerging writers awarded a residency are: Claire Mabey, Dani Yourukova, Hinekura Smith, Joy Holly, Nicole Hawkins, Rhegan Tu’akoi, Rose Lu, Sonya Wilson and Tehnuka Ilanko.   

‘Reading and assessing this year’s applications was a huge privilege for the selection panel’, says board of trustees Chair, Melanie Laville-Moore. ‘We were impressed by the breadth and quality of writing across a wide spectrum of proposed projects’.

All residencies are made possible with thanks to support from Creative New Zealand.

The Michael King Writers Centre thanks all applicants and wishes our residency recipients the very best of luck with their work.