The Michael King Writers Centre is a writing centre on the slope of Takarunga / Mount VictoriainDevonport, Auckland, New Zealand, which offers residencies to early career and experienced writers. It was established in 2005 in honour of New Zealand historian Michael King.
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Aerial view of centre
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Named after | Michael King |
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Established | July 2005; 19 years ago (2005-07) |
Legal status | Charitable trust |
Purpose | Writers' centre |
Location |
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Coordinates | 36°49′39″S 174°47′56″E / 36.82761801863462°S 174.79889597212275°E / -36.82761801863462; 174.79889597212275 |
Website | Official website |
The centre is based at the Signalman's House, a historic house built in 1898, on Takarunga / Mount VictoriainDevonport, Auckland.[1][2]
As of November 2022[update] the centre had hosted around 140 writers-in-residence.[3] Residencies are of short length to encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds.[3] As of 2024[update] residencies are offered for between two and three weeks,[4] although in the past they have been offered for as long as six months.[5] The centre also offers short-term accommodation for visiting writers on a paying basis.[6][7]
At the memorial service for historian and writer Michael King in 2004, Gordon McLauchlan suggested that a writers' centre in King's name should be set up.[8] The centre was established through a charitable trust; together with McLauchlan, founding trustees included Christine Cole Catley,[9] Witi Ihimaera and Geoff Chapple.[10]
The centre officially opened in July 2005.[2][3] The first writer-in-residence was Geoff Chapple.[11]
Between 2007 and 2020, University of Auckland residencies were offered at the centre, supported by Creative New Zealand, which required the writer to spend time at the university's English department.[12][13] In 2010 the centre began offering Māori writers' residencies, developed with the assistance of Witi Ihimaera.[14] In July 2011 the centre offered a free week's residency for four writers affected by the Christchurch earthquake.[15]
In 2014, in partnership with several organisations including the Shanghai Writers' Association, the centre began running an exchange whereby Chinese writers could undertake a residency at the centre and New Zealand writers could undertake a residency in Shanghai.[11] In 2021 the centre announced a new exchange programme with Varuna, The Writers' House in the Blue Mountains, Sydney.[16][17]
From 2008 to 2019 the centre offered a programme of workshops for young writers, and since 2012 has published a literary journal of students' work titled Signals.[18][19] The programme was put on hold in 2020, and the centre has instead run the Signals Awards for writers aged 16 to 21.[19][20][21]
Notable recipients of Michael King Writers Centre residencies have included: