Kerry has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington and has more than 25 years experience as a writer and editor. She has also worked as a freelance journalist, online documentary producer, film reviewer and radio presenter/producer.

As well as coming on board as the coordinator of the Readers and Writers Programme, Kerry is a part-time creative writing tutor at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and is hosting three residential writing retreats this year. Recently selected for the Hachette Mentorship for 2018 through Byron Writers Festival in Australia, Kerry is also in the final stages of preparing her memoir, Beyond the Blue Door, for publication.

And here are the events:

STRETCH YOURSELF

This creative writing retreat is designed for those who have always loved writing but want to take it to the next level. Facilitated by Nelson Readers and Writers Programme Coordinator and NMIT creative writing tutor Kerry Sunderland and yoga teacher Noa Parker, it will be held at Zatori, near Collingwood in Golden Bay, from 6 – 9 April 2018. Find out more at http://www.writeacrossnewzealand.com/beginners-retreat

PLANT THE SEED

The creative writing retreat will be held from 11 – 14 May 2018 with award-winning Australian novelist Jesse Blackadder at Appleby House, near Rabbit Island. It will be focused on transforming the essence of a fact (whether it be something in your own life, or a moment in history) into a compelling narrative. Find out more at http://www.writeacrossnewzealand.com/jesse-blackadder-retreat

MAKE YOUR OWN WORLD

Elizabeth Knox, one of New Zealand’s leading authors, will provide strategies for the creation of whole, real-seeming worlds in fiction in the third retreat, which will be held at Zatori in Golden Bay from 5 – 8 October. This retreat will be beneficial to novelists and to writers for film and television. It will encourage you to be shrewder, more flexible, confident and daring storytellers. Find out more at http://www.writeacrossnewzealand.com/elizabeth-knox-writing-retreat

Places are limited, especially for the second retreat, so book early.