Hagley Writers' Institute

Year 2 student, Fiona Tyson’s story “The Crux of the Matter” has just been published in the current issue of Snorkel (http://snorkel.org.au/015/). Check it out. Well done Fiona!

Students return on Saturday 28 April for the second term. Jane Higgins, one of our first graduates and author of the Text Publishing’s prize, The Bridge, will be speaking to students about how to make the most of supervision after classes finish at 12.30pm.

Classes for Year 2 students will be in the afternoons for Terms 2 and 3 and will run from 1.30pm-3.30pm.

Writers’ Institute graduate, Nathan Bennett has a short story appearing in the May edition of Landfall. This literary magazine is one of NZ’s oldest and most respected literary journals so this is a great achievement for Nathan – check it out here

Congratulations to Year 2 student, Sean Joyce for being shortlisted for his memoir, ‘We ran away’ in this prestigious competition. Check out the site here

Hagley Writers’ Institute will be well represented at the Readers and Writers Week at the International Festival of the Arts in Wellington from 9- 14 March. Jane Higgins (right) who was among our first graduates will be appearing in two sessions – she will appear with Patrick Evans and Fiona Farrell, a former Institute tutor in a session about the Chch Quakes and she will also be part of their Schools’ day on a panel with Bernard Beckett.

Year 2 student, Vida Zelenka, is one of three NZ poets to have a poem selected by Bill Manhire to be workshopped at his Poetry Masterclass which is a real coup. She will be there to participate and hear Bill critique her work.

We are looking forward to welcoming all new and returning students on Saturday 11 February at 9.30am at the Writers’ Block. We will start with morning tea and then students will join their tutors for their first class.

Marissa Cappetta and Paul McGuigan, winners of the Margaret Mahy Award for 2011 pictured above with their mentor, John Dixon celebrating their success at the Hagley Writers’ Institute  graduation on Tuesday 6 December.

Those graduating Cum Laude from Year 1 were Marisa Cappetta, Tracy Chollet, Jeni Curtis, Vida Zelenka, Sean Joyce, Robyn Anderson, Fiona Tyson. The winner of the Margaret Mahy Award for Year 1 was Marisa Cappetta with Vida Zelenka and Jeni Curtis, second equal and Tracy Chollet, third.

Paul McGuigan won the Margaret Mahy Award for Year 2. John Ewen was second and Emma Currie and Cathleen Lewis were third equal.

Pictured above – Kerrin Sharpe  (tutor) Tracy Chollet, Marisa Cappetta, Paul McGuigan, John Ewen, Frankie Mcmillan (tutor), Cathleen Lewis and Emma Currie

Congratulations to Writers’ Institute graduate Gayle Cook who has been shortlisted for this prestigious award in the non fiction section. Her entry is entitled Being Blue and the winners will be announced in November.

Jeni Curtis and Emma Currie have poems coming out in future editions of the online journal, Blackmail.

And Marissa Cappetta has had poems accepted for another online journal, Snorkel.

Last Saturday students gathered at the Writers’ Block for morning tea with tutors and supervisors to celebrate the completion and handing-in of their portfolios. We farewelled those from Year 2 and Year 1 who wont be returning and look forward to those continuing on in 2012. This year’s students have been remarkable for their resilience and enthusiasm in light of what has been an extraordinary year.