Monday, July 25, 2011

Tā te Ao Māori: Writing the Māori World

Convenors: Bradford Haami and Paul Diamond

Vaughan Park Retreat Centre, Long Bay, Auckland,
17th–19th February 2012

The next Michael King Writers’ Centre Residential Workshop will be the third in a successful series of symposium style workshops designed for emerging and mid-career writers. Limited to 24 participants,
it offers a focused, interactive environment at a seaside retreat with fellow writers and respected professionals. The February workshop has been designed as an inspirational event to encourage experienced writers (Māori and Pākehā) with a specialised interest in writing the Māori world. It  will offer stimulating discusssion on translation, writing in te reo Māori, adaptation, history, approaches to biography, and book and web publishing. 

Two writers with strong connections to the Writers’ Centre are acting as workshop convenors and have had a major hand in developing the programme. They had attended previous Residential Workshops as participants and speakers, and felt the time was right for a workshop on ‘writing the Māori world’.
Paul Diamond (Ngāti Hauā, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi) - left - is a writer, historian and broadcaster, has published two biographical works, managed the Vietnam War Oral History Project for MCH and has been a judge for the New Zealand Post Book Awards in 2010 and 2011.  Bradford Haami (Ngāti 
Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu, Tuwharetoa) - right- has published several books on Māori history and culture, and is a documentary and drama writer. He also held the first Māori Writer’s Residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre in 2010.

Over three days and two nights, participants will hear leading writers Witi Ihimaera, Merimeri Penfold, Anne Salmond, Monty Soutar, Aroha Harris, Jock Phillips, Basil Keane, Paul Moon, Jane McRae, Darryn Joseph and publishers Robyn Bargh, Bridget Williams, Geoff Walker and Sam Elworthy, discuss research, writing and publishing. Participants will have opportunities to discuss issues with speakers and to report on their current projects.

The Centre hopes the Residential Workshop will continue as an annual event, alongside its other courses and events run in Devonport.  The 2009 Residential Workshop featured Brian Boyd, Anne Salmond, Gordon McLauchlan and others sharing their expertise in history and biography, and in 2010 Fiona Kidman, Philip Temple, CK Stead and others took a more intensive look at memoir and biography.  Plans for the next workshop in late 2012 are focussing on writing the science behind sustainability.

Writers who have some publishing record, or are specialists in their field, are invited to apply for the 2012 Residential Workshop.  Applications, which should include a writing CV, close  31st August 2011. The cost is $430.00 plus GST and includes two nights’ accommodation and all meals.

The full programme, speakers’ profiles and application details are available at  under
www.writerscentre.org.nz Residential Workshops.

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