Recipients have been selected for the New Zealand Society of Authors Mentorship Programme 2019, with thirteen chosen
from a pool of 79 applicants. There were a wide variety of projects on offer and all applicants showed a high level of
commitment to the craft of writing. This made it a difficult task for judges Mandy Hager, Renee Liang and Geoff Walker.
Our 2019 mentees are emerging writers with unique voices who have chosen to write in a diverse array of genres
including: poetry, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, short fiction - flash, speculative, Young
Adult fiction, and biography/memoir.
The 2019 recipients are: Semira Davis, Frank Eggleton, Saige England, Mia Gaudin, Jenna Heller, Katie Levendis, Anna Mahoney, Ria Masae, Simone
McKegg, Sinead Overbye, Jackson Payne, Marnie Walters, Anna Woods.
They will spend the remainder of 2019 honing their skills and developing their craft under the mentorship of some of New
Zealand’s finest professional writers. Photos and info about 2019 mentees.
Selection panel convener Mandy Hager commented that: ‘It was a privilege to meet these writers through their work. Everyone who applied showed dedication and a serious
approach towards their craft. It was a daunting task trying to whittle down 79 applications to just 13 but the
successful applicants stood out for their interesting projects and strong writing samples. It’s exciting to see the
range and depth of our writing talent’.
Mentorships are offered by the NZSA every year with the intent of fostering and developing emerging writers with the
support of established practitioners. The NZSA has run a highly successful mentoring programme for writers since 1999
and it is supported by funding from Creative New Zealand.