Our tenth writer-in-residence for the year, Ingrid, is working on a collection of interconnected short stories from women’s lives over a two-hundred-year period. Some of the stories are based on historical lives, others on purely fictional characters, but all are anchored in a particular historical

Jared is an archivist, historian and writer based in Wellington. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Overland, History Workshop Journal, The Spinoff, Newsroom and other publications, while his recent book Dead Letters (Otago University Press, 2019) won the Bert Roth Award for Labour History and w

Nathan is an award-winning writer, theatre-maker and performance poet based in Ōtautahi. His work largely focuses on the slipperiness of identity and the politics of desire.As a playwright, Nathan won the Playmarket b425 award two years in a row (2015 and 2016), and has been shortlisted for the AD

Steph is an award-winning writer from Taranaki, New Zealand (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Te Ati Awa).She spent fifteen years writing radio advertising before deciding to branch out and write pieces that were longer than thirty seconds.She loves writing speculative fiction stories for children and

Our sixth writer-in-residence for the year; Gina, is of Fijian, Scottish and Welsh descent.  She is the author of Black Ice Matter, which won Best First Book of Fiction at the 2017 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.  Her fiction was anthologised in Black Marks on the White Page, and Home: New Writing.

We welcomed Rachael not only as our final writer-in-residence for 2020 but also, by wonderful coincidence as the 100th writer to take up a residency at MKWC.Rachael is an award-winning author with three novels under her belt: The Sound of Butterflies, which was published internationally and  trans

From Queenstown, Jane is the author of the Lily Max children’s trilogy, published by Luncheon Sausage books. “Lily Max: Satin, Scissors, Frock” (2015) was a finalist in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and received a Storylines Notable Book Award. “Lily Max: Slope, Style, Fashion” (

We have welcomed Lana as our fourth writer-in-residence for the year. Lana is an editor, critic and author based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Since 2012 she has published extensively on New Zealand and art in local and international publications. In 2018 Lana published her debut book False Divides (Bridget W

Anna has written several books of poetry, most recently Pasture and Flock: New and Selected Poems, and also writes occasional fiction and academic books.  She lives in Wellington and lectures at Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington.Anna’s residency project is a novella, a sequel of so

Our second writer-in-residence for the year Emma (Kāi Tahu), is a Taranaki based writer whose work has previously appeared in Sport, Newsroom, Hue and Cry, Takahe, Ika 4, Ora Nui and Turbine.In 2013 she completed an MA with Distinction at the IIML. In 2020 she was awarded third place in the RH Mor

We have welcomed our first writer in residence for 2021!Kerrin has published four collections of poetry: Three Days In a Wishing Well (2012); There’s a Medical Name For this (2014); Rabbit Rabbit (2016) and her latest collection, Louder (published August 2018).Her poems have been published in a

Amy is a New Zealand writer of Rarotongan descent. She has a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland with first class honours, and won the Sir James Wallace Prize in 2017. She enjoys being a perpetual student, taking ten happy years to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English and Hi

Our 18th writer-in-residence, Maria is a published writer of stories for adults and children. Born in Wellington and of Cook Islands descent, her stories offer a Pacific perspective that she hopes Pasifika audiences can relate to and all people can enjoy. Her adult stories have appeared in literary

Our 17th writer-in-residence; Tom is an author, academic and journalist. He has written two books about the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire disaster, Hazelwood (Penguin Random House, 2020) and The Coal Face (Penguin, 2015, winner of the Oral History Victoria Education Innovation Award). He has also written

Pip has published a collection of short stories, Everything We Hoped For (VUP, 2010) and two novels, I’m Working on a Building (VUP, 2013) and The New Animals (VUP, 2017). The New Animals won New Zealand’s top fiction prize in 2018, the Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction. Her work has appeared in li

Jane is a poet, writer and editor who lives in Wellington with her family. She has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, a Diploma in Publishing from Whitireia Polytechnic, and a Master of Arts in English Literat

Ko Māori me Airihi me Kōtarina ngā iwi o ōku tīpuna.I whakahautia ahau e ngā ngahere o HoutūI amoamohia ahau e ngā wai o MangakahiaI whakatā ōku waewae kei runga te puku o TītokiI whānaua ahau e a Ōtautahi engari i tipu ake ahau i wīwā i wāwāHe ngā wāhi o Te Puke, o Whāngarei, o Mangakāhia

We welcome our 12th resident for the year – Tina writes essays, novels and short fiction. Her latest novel is The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke and, alongside Witi Ihimaera, she is co-editor of Black Marks on the White Page, an anthology that celebrates Māori and Pasifika writing. During her resid

Aroha is the first resident since the interruption of Covid-19, to be able to enjoy his full residency with us – he is our 11th writer-in-residence for the year.Aroha (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Porou, Niuean), is an award-winning journalist and playwright and a former producer for Māori TV Show Native Aff

Because of the Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions, Albert started his residency from home and was able to take up residence as we moved to Level 2. He is our 10th residency recipient for the year.Albert began his career as an actor before writing for stage and screen.  An award-winning international pl