MEDIA RELEASE
7 August 2006
Turbine powers up for 2006
The online literary journal Turbine (www.vuw.ac.nz/turbine) is back in action. Unlike the national grid, Turbine has
never found itself short of energy, with contributions pouring in from new and established writers. The International
Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University is now calling for submissions for the 2006 edition of the journal,
which will be launched in December 2006.
Edited by poet Chris Price, with assistance from students of Creative Writing at the Institute, the journal will
continue to present new work by writers associated with the Institute, as well as by the wider New Zealand writing
community. Turbine complements established print journals as a fresh way for writers to publish, and aims to reach a
diverse local and international audience.
Previous issues have included new work from established writers such as Catherine Chidgey, Jenny Bornholdt, and Andrew
Johnston alongside work by emerging talent including Rachael King, Emily Dobson and Hinemoana Baker. Turbine
traditionally features an interview with the Victoria University/Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence for the year –
the 2005 issue includes an interview with the poet, memoirist and (soon to be) novelist Stephanie de Montalk. It is also
one of the first places to publish work emerging from the creative writing powerhouse at Victoria University, and offers
a glimpse of the renowned workshops through excerpts from students’ reading journals. But it’s not a closed shop,
publishing writers from throughout New Zealand.
“Turbines do what the greatest works of art achieve: they seize the natural and make it into powerful energy,” says
Professor Bill Manhire, Director of the Institute.
“We hope the magazine will work like this, and that it will soon be sending its energies right around the planet.
“I think established writers will one day look back on Turbine as the place where they got their start, and also find
themselves checking out the latest issue to see which new writers are about to join their company.”
Submissions of poetry, creative non-fiction and short fiction are encouraged by 20 October 2006. Photographs or other
images with literary themes may also be considered.
For submission guidelines, or to view previous issues, please refer to www.vuw.ac.nz/turbine or email turbine@vuw.ac.nz.
ENDS
www.vuw.ac.nz/modernletters