David Eggleton is a poet and writer who lives in Dunedin. He is a popular and dynamic performance poet, has written books and been selected as the Montana reviewer of the year. He has been described as “one of New Zealand’s more engaged contemporary poets and cultural commentators” (Critic, July 200

William (Bill) Direen is a writer and a well-known figure in New Zealand music circles. Originally from Christchurch and Dunedin, Direen has recently been living in Paris and previously spent several years in Berlin. He is best known as a poet and musician, but he has also written theatre scripts, l

Rachel Barrowman worked at the centre for eight weeks from early 2010. She is a Wellington-based writer and historian. She is the author of a number of works in the field of New Zealand cultural and intellectual history, including histories of the Alexander Turnbull Library and Victoria University o

Martin Edmond held an eight-week residency from mid-March to May, also offered with the support of Creative New Zealand. Edmond was born in Ohakune and grew up in small North Island towns before studying in Auckland and Wellington. He spent five years touring internationally with the avant garde the

Bradford Haami was selected for the first ever Māori residency at the centre, for eight weeks from May. Based in Waitakere, Bradford Haami has written extensively about Māori history and culture, as well as being a documentary and drama writer, a director and producer, and a researcher at Te Papa in

Nelson Wattie was awarded the Autumn Residency (mid-March to mid-May) to work on a literary biography of Kapiti poet, novelist and playwright Alistair Te Ariki Campbell. Dr Wattie is an author, translator, academic and opera singer from Wellington, who taught in German universities for many years an

Michelanne Forster is a playwright, scriptwriter, fiction writer and editor who moved to New Zealand in 1972 from her native California. She is a graduate of Auckland University and the Auckland Secondary Teachers College.She was the Michael King/University of Auckland Writing Fellow in 2011. Duri

Ben Brown was awarded the Māori Writer’s Residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre for 2011 (eight weeks from mid-May). He is known for his poetry, children’s books, non-fiction and for his short stories. Since 1992 he has collaborated with his wife, illustrator Helen Taylor, on numerous publica

Arthur Meek was awarded the eight-week Summer Residency, from January to mid-March 2011. Arthur Meek, who lives in Auckland, has written for stage, screen and radio, worked extensively as an actor and performed in musical comedy. Last year he received the Best New Play and Outstanding New Playwright

Whiti Hereaka, from Wellington, held the 2012 Summer Residency at the Michael King Writers Centre, from January to mid-March.Whiti is a playwright, novelist and screenwriter who has won many awards even though she is at an early stage of her career. She has been admitted as a barrister and solicit

Tongariro, Ruapehu, Aoraki nga MaungaWhanganui, Rangatikei, Waitaki, nga AwaTaupo, Waihora nga RotoNgati Tuwharetoa, Te Ati Haunui A Paparangi, Ngati Hauiti ki RataRapuwai, Waitaha, Ngati Mamoe, Ngai Tahu nga IwiPaimarireTe Awhina Arahanga comes from Christchurch and has had extensive ex

Chris Else has had more than eight books published: six novels, and two collections of short fiction. His work appears in many anthologies and magazines, and he has written for stage and television. His most recent novel is Gith, published by Random House in 2008. In a Herald on Sundayreview Nicky P

The Michael King Writers’ Centre is delighted to welcome back novelist and graphic artist Sarah Laing for her second residency at the centre.This year she holds the six-month The University of Auckland Residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre. In 2008, she held one of the short residencies fo

Don McGlashan is one of New Zealand’s most popular and celebrated songwriters and performers, whose music provides the soundtrack to our most significant national occasions as well as being heard around the world.He has won numerous awards for his albums, songs and for his film and television scor

Deborah Shepard has written a blog about her residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre.Deborah Shepard held the Autumn Residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre. She is working on two books, an exploration of memoir, Writing Your Heart Out: The Art and Craft of Memoir and a Pain Journal.

Peter Wells is a distinguished writer and film-maker.As a writer, he won the 1992 NZ Book Award for Fiction for his first book of short stories Dangerous Desires, published by Viking Penguin in New York and Secker and Warburg in London. The book also won, among other awards, the PEN (NZ) Best Firs

Victor holds the University of Auckland Residency which he started on the 19th of February and is our fourth residency for the year. He will be with us until late in June. He is working on both a novel and short stories.Victor is a writer of Samoan and Scottish descent. His first play, Sons, debut

Our second residency for the year is held by Rosetta and she is working on her second novel.Rosetta spent her formative writing years developing her strengths in the area of poetry, both writing and supporting poetry events in her hometown of Auckland.Rosetta has published two volumes of poetry:

Lawrence holds our third residency for the year and is working on a literary novel of communities in turmoil, set on a future Kāpiti Coast. It is an interrogation of Pākehā relationships with history in Aotearoa New Zealand.Lawrence is the author of the short-story collection I Got His Blood On Me

Helen Waaka (Ngāti Whaatua, Ngā Puhi) has joined us for the fifth residency of the year.Helen completed a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing at Whitireia (Wellington) in 2011. The same year she won the Pikihuia award for best English-language short story with ‘Hineraumati’. Her stories have appe