Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Writer-residency Organisation Announces Its 2025 Writers In Residence Programme

The Michael King Writers Centre is pleased to announce that next year’s programme of residencies at the historic Signalman’s House on Takarunga Mt Victoria in Devonport, Auckland, is now open for applications. Writers awarded a residency can look forward to peaceful accommodation, the use of a writing studio, a supporting stipend and the opportunity to focus on a specific writing project.

The 2025 programme offers 16 residencies to emerging and established writers for periods of two to four weeks. Awarded residencies will include up to four specifically for Māori or Pasifika writers.

Applications open Thursday 27 June and close Monday 29 July. For the application form and more details see: https://writerscentre.org.nz/application-2025-residencies/

WHY DO WE OFFER THESE RESIDENCIES?

• The residency programme aims to support New Zealand writers and promote the development of high-quality New Zealand writing. Projects can be in a wide range of genres including non-fiction, fiction, children and young adult, drama and poetry.

WHO CAN APPLY?

•  We support diversity and actively encourage all writers from throughout New Zealand who are a New Zealand citizen or have New Zealand permanent residency to apply.

WHAT IS THE MICHAEL KING WRITERS CENTRE?

•  Founded in 2005, the Centre was established to realise writer and historian Michael King’s dream of having a residential retreat for New Zealand writers enabling time and money to work on a major project over an extended period.
•  Over one hundred and eighty New Zealand writers have held residencies at the centre since 2005. These include Whiti Hereaka, winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2022 NZ Book Awards, David Eggleton (Poet Laureate for New Zealand 2019-2022), along with Booker prize winner Eleanor Catton. This year MKWC alumni Eleanor Catton, Emma Wehipeihana (Espiner), Jeff Evans, Emma Hislop and Pip Adam were finalists in the NZ Book awards. Both Emma Wehipeihana and Emma Hislop were awarded first book prizes for their MKWC residency projects.

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